Man killed in St Augustine hit-and-run incident

St Augustine Police detective Chris Miller needs Historic City News readers to come forward with any information they may have that will lead to the identification of the driver, or location of the vehicle, that ran over 49-year-old Christian Gerard Schroom in the wee hours Sunday morning.

According to a spokesman for Darden Restaurants, the victim had completed his dinner shift at the Red Lobster on Saturday at about 11:00 p.m. Police believe Schroom was riding his bicycle and that he followed his normal route; north on US-1 from SR-312, through town on King Street, across the Bridge of Lions to his home located at 199 Cabeza Street on Anastasia Island.

Just minutes after midnight, fate would find Schroom in the middle of Anastasia Boulevard where he was struck by a passing vehicle. A witness at the scene said that when they spotted Schroom, he was not on his bicycle; which police located, unharmed, on the sidewalk.

Although Schroom was not wearing a helmet, he was wearing protective and reflective gear. The vehicle, or vehicles, that struck Schroom did not stop. Emergency medical personnel with St Johns County Fire-Rescue pronounced him dead at the scene.

A search is underway to develop any available information that may help police identify the guilty party. An autopsy performed by District 23 Medical Examiner, Dr. Predag Bulic, will determine if it was, in fact, the vehicle crash that killed Schroom; and may uncover automobile paint evidence from the remains that can narrow the search for the vehicle.

Police are also interviewing witnesses, neighbors, and canvassing adjacent businesses that may have surveillance video which could aid in the investigation.

According to file reports and social media websites, Schroom was born May 5, 1963 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He graduated from Sylvania Northview High School in Sylvania, Ohio in 1981. He had lived in St Augustine for about five years; moving here from Toledo.

According to his myspace page, his heroes were actors John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and former President Bill Clinton.

Anyone with any information concerning this crime or who may know the identity of those involved is asked to contact detectives with the St. Augustine Police Department at (904) 209-3482. You can remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a cash reward by calling CrimeStoppers of Northeast Florida at 1-(888) 277-TIPS.