As reported by Fox 8 News, Bedford Heights police say they have identified the driver believed to be responsible for a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a Cleveland man earlier this month.
The investigation began after 33-year-old Larz Biederman was struck by a pickup truck shortly after midnight on May 13 while walking along Aurora Road after leaving work at a local sports bar and restaurant. Authorities said he had been heading to meet his mother for a ride home when the crash occurred. The driver did not stop, and Biederman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from nearby businesses, which helped identify the vehicle as a pickup truck with an extended cab and a cap covering the bed. Detectives then used license plate reader technology to narrow the search.
Police discovered that just minutes after the fatal crash, a pickup truck matching the description had been stopped in North Randall for speeding. Officers later connected the driver, a 41-year-old Michigan man working in the area as a contractor, to the vehicle involved in the crash.
According to investigators, detectives worked with the driver’s employer and management team to identify the suspect. Authorities later recovered the truck in Michigan after an attorney representing the driver arranged for it to be turned over to law enforcement. Police observed front-end damage consistent with the collision.
Investigators also said evidence indicated the suspect had reportedly been drinking at a Bedford Heights bar before the crash. Police believe that may have contributed to the driver’s decision to flee the scene.
Authorities said charges of aggravated vehicular homicide are expected, and the suspect is anticipated to turn himself in later this week.
