White or Light-Colored Honda Sought in Florida's Turnpike Hit-and-Run

Two people were killed on the highway near Homestead early Sunday

Authorities say they are looking for a white or light-colored Honda with damage to its right front side that was involved in a hit-and-run that killed two men on Florida’s Turnpike early Sunday.

Julio Ascon, 24, and his friend Reynaldo Mina, 54, were returning from a party and heading south on the Turnpike near Homestead at 1:54 a.m. Sunday when they flagged down a passing car and the driver, Vatiere Jean Jacque, 32, stopped to help.

But then the Honda “veered into the emergency lane, struck both of them,” and killed both Ascon and the Good Samaritan, Jacque, Florida Highway Patrol trooper Joe Sanchez said Monday.

The accident happened just as Ascon’s friend, Mina, went into the car to pull the emergency break. The sole survivor saw the suspect's white Honda briefly stop, and that allowed him to get a partial tag number.

That was enough to help FHP investigators who turned to the SunPass cameras and were able to pin down the car they say they’re looking for, whose tag number is 532-TBB. Authorities say the Honda’s passenger mirror is missing.

Only Ascon's family was present at a press conference organized by the FHP Monday.

Ascon, who came to the U.S. from Guatemala eight years ago, dreamed of making it as a singer one day. He was in a band and recorded his own demos. His cousin Marilyn Nova remembered his musical talents Monday.

“He was a nice person, he loved music, he loved singing, he would always be there for us,” she said. “He wasn’t supposed to die.”

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