By Alexia Campbell and Ihosvani Rodriguez
Broward sheriff’s deputies are looking for a dark-colored Volkswagen Jetta that struck and killed a woman crossing Sheridan Street Friday morning.
Renae Lettiere, 50, of Hollywood, was crossing the westbound lanes at the intersection with North Federal Highway around 5:40 a.m. when a car hit her in the crosswalk and fled the scene, sheriff’s spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion said.
“It sounded like a car hit another car, but it hit a human being,” said Dulce Pelletier, 46, a street newspaper vendor who witnessed the crash.
Lettiere lay lifeless on the road with her legs mangled, Pelletier said.
Pelletier said she called 911, but wasn’t able to get a good look at the car as it sped west on Sheridan Street.
Firefighters pronounced Lettiere dead on the scene.
Detectives are looking for a dark Jetta which could be a 2005 to 2009 model. The four-door sedan has damage to its right front section.
Broward Crime Stoppers has offered a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Lettiere had been homeless off and on for the past eight to 10 years, according to Sean Cononie, who runs the Homeless Voice shelter in Hollywood and said he was a friend of hers.
She loved animals and helped out at the Hollywood Animal Clinic years ago, Cononie said.
“Whenever we got stray dogs, she would come over right away to give them a bath and give them food before animal control arrives,” he said.
Cononie said the shelter planned to have a memorial service for Lettiere at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
For the past several months she lived in a one-room apartment in Hollywood with her fiance, Charles Robinson, 53. Robinson said Lettiere was on her way to Memorial Hospital West to seek treatment for migraines when the accident took place.
“It’s shocking, devastating,” he said. “She could be a stubborn person, but she was really good-hearted.”
Authorities ask anyone with information to contact Traffic Homicide Detective Robert Miller at 954-321-4840, or Broward Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at 954-493 TIPS.
Staff writer Rafael Olmeda contributed to this report.
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