Middleburg, FL : 43-year-old pedestrian was injured after he was struck by a vehicle on early Sunday morning August 31st 2014

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a hit-and-run crash that left a male pedestrian with life-threatening injuries early Sunday morning. The man, identified by FHP as 43-year-old Kevin Michael Helm of Middleburg, was walking south on Hibiscus Avenue when he was struck by a vehicle. FHP believes the incident may have happened as early as 3:30 a.m., but troopers were not called to the area until 11 a.m. because Helm was not discovered in the ditch until that time. Resident Joseph Thornton said he thinks it took so long for someone to notice Helm because of the dense vegetation. "Probably overlooked it because you can see the grass is high in a lot of areas," Thornton said. Thornton said he rides his bike down the road all the time and isn't surprised this happened here. "People sometimes on a Saturday like to weave out like they're trying to hit you or something," Thornton said. The road in that area is busy, and Thornton said he would like to see a sidewalk built. Helm was transported by ground to St. Vincent's in Clay County, then airlifted to UF Health Jacksonville in critical condition. Investigators are now looking for a white vehicle with front-end damage to its right side. Source : FHP: Pedestrian hit by car in Middleburg not discovered until hours after crash