Troopers Find Vehicle That May Have Been Involved In I-4 Death

PLANT CITY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol troopers have found a pickup truck they believe may have been involved in the hit-and-run death of a Plant City man on Interstate 4 May 3.

A passing truck driver saw the body of a man on the grass shoulder on the north side of Interstate 4 west of U.S. 98 in Polk County at 9:11 a.m. Thursday, May 3 (see related story).

Troopers later identified the dead man as McKenzie J. Messick, 22, of Plant City. They say he could have been killed up to 24 hours before the truck driver spotted him.

Troopers found vehicle parts from a front headlight or turn signal at the scene, leading them to surmise that the vehicle that struck Messick was a General Motors product.

Then, on Monday, May 14, following up on a tip called in to Crime Stoppers, a white 2003 Chevrolet pickup was recovered at a home at 6339 Red Hawk Lane in Plant City.

No arrests have been made and the investigation is continuing. Anyone with information regarding the driver is asked to contact the FHP by calling (813) 558-1800.

Image via FHP

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Tampa Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)