USF St. Petersburg student Dhimitri Andoni was killed Thursday night on Interstate 275 just north of campus. Courtesy of Dhimitri Andoni’s facebook
By Anna Bryson
A USF St. Petersburg student died Thursday night after he was hit by a car on Interstate 275. The 22-year-old stopped to help a car after he saw it spin out of control and hit a median. As he walked back to his own car, he was hit by a passing vehicle.
Dhimitri Andoni was a finance student who lived in Clearwater with his parents, Violeta and Petrika Andoni. The driver who hit him, Dana Thomas Byrd, 30, stole Andoni’s 2015 Hyundai Sudan and drove away after striking Andoni, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. He left his own Ford pickup truck on the scene, which police found Friday, along with Andoni’s body, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Troopers found Byrd at his home Friday and he was charged with grand theft auto and leaving the scene of a crash involving a death.
Andoni started classes at USF St. Petersburg in January, according to his Facebook page. Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock said in an email to the USF St. Petersburg community this morning:
“His professors considered him a model student and he was very highly regarded by all who knew him.
“I know I speak for all of us when I say how hard it is to lose a member of the USFSP family. We are all affected by the death of a student who had such a bright and promising future ahead.”
Two days after Andoni’s death, The Pan-Albanian Federation of America, Vatra Tampa Bay Chapter Inc., organized a Gofundme for his family. According to the page, Andoni immigrated from Albania two years ago and worked at a bank. More than 120 people have donated $10,720 at the time of publication.
The memorial and viewing for Dhimiter Andoni will be Tuesday Sept. 25 at Hubbell Funeral Home, 499 Indian Rocks Rd. Belleair Bluffs from 5 to 7 p.m. A clergy service will be Wednesday Sept. 26 from 2 to 3 p.m. at Hubbell Funeral Home, 499 Indian Rocks Road Belleair Bluffs. Immediately afterwards will be the burial at Largo Municipal Cemetery 1232-1298 Jasper St., Largo.
This is a developing story. Stay with The Crow’s Nest for updates.
Information from the Tampa Bay Times was used in this report.
