WFLA

‘You’re not going nowhere but jail’: Bystander says he helped stop St. Pete hit-and-run driver

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A St. Petersburg man, who is accused of killing a pedestrian, is behind bars thanks to two bystanders who were in the right place at the right time.

John Matthews said he was driving down 34th Street North Monday night, when he passed by a wrecked mustang and a person lying in the median.

“You could definitely tell he was dead, so I pulled a u-turn,” Matthews said. “The car was (billowing) smoke, all the airbags were deployed, and I seen the guys running down the alley.”

That’s when Matthews and his friend made a quick decision to follow at least one of the people in the mustang.

“I did a two-point turn, got in front of the car and fled down the alley,” he said. “My buddy had eyes on him the whole time and he said nah this is the driver. That’s why he only proceeded after him with me. We took him down at the apartment complex behind here and waited for police to arrive.”

Matthews told 8 On Your Side that Randy Peterson, 27, told him the victim shouldn’t have stepped out in front of his car.

“At that point I was just like man you have no remorse for human life you know what I mean. He asked me to let him up, let him go, and I said you’re not going nowhere but jail man,” said Matthews.

St. Petersburg police said Peterson is accused of hitting and killing the victim Alija Boskovic, whom authorities said stepped in the path of a mustang while crossing 34th Street.

“You know I’ve seen people hit and run many times and never get that closure,” Matthews said.

Peterson was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving a death. Reports also showed that Peterson has several prior involving speeding and driving with a suspended license.