Who Hit Danny Berenberg?

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Whose phone number called 911 during the time frame of the hit-and-run

Police say that around the same time of the hit-and-run, someone called 911, but hung up before speaking. They called from 904-627-9702. Who owned this number, which was then evidently disconnected? Were they calling to report the accident? Were they, perhaps, a witness?

Friday, April 18, 2008

Who Hit Danny?

Philanthropist and civic leader Danny Berenberg was struck by a hit-and-run driver the night of April 4,2008 in Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

The driver then emerged from her car but then returned to it and fled, leaving Danny semi-conscious with life-threatening injuries, lying in the street.

Friends are trying to track down the driver, who sped away in a car resembling a white Hyundai. A reward has been established.

Please send a link to this blog to people you know to help this case.

Contact: Teresa Eichner
Access Public Relations
904/493-5006 or 982-9028

April 14, 2008

Turning Tragedy into Community Assistance

JACKSONVILLE, FLA. -- A Jacksonville civic leader and human rights activist, left bleeding in the street after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in Jacksonville Beach, is offering an unusual reward.

Danny Berenberg says his philanthropy firm will reward the person who comes forward with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the assailant, by making a donation to that good citizen's charity of choice.

The reward exceeds $1,000 and grows daily with contributions.

Berenberg was crossing the street around 8:30 p.m. on April 4, 2008, at Sixth Avenue South when a car hit him. The driver got out of her vehicle to see there was a man down, but quickly returned to her car and sped away. Bystanders describe her as in her late 20s or early 30s, somewhat heavyset, with brownish blond hair, driving a light-colored car that resembled 2001 white Hyundai. Witnesses say she may have been talking on her cell phone at the time.

Media reports are at: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=106469 and St. Augustine Record.

Well wishers may add to the reward at: GiftCounsel.com Reward Fund, c/o the Community Foundation in Jacksonville, 121 West Forsyth Street, Suite 900, Jacksonville, FL 32202

"The Jacksonville area has a growing problem with hit-and-run accidents," Berenberg said from his home, where he is recovering. "It appears that drivers are leaving the scene because they don't feel they'll be caught. This concerns me as a citizen, because it's an indicator of the health of a community when people feel there is no consequence for their actions."

Already the murder capital of Florida, Jacksonville solves few of its hit-and-run crimes, according to news reports.

Berenberg founded a successful fund-raising consultancy, which has helped build major projects such as The Florida Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, Jacksonville Zoo's Range of the Jaguars exhibit, the Equestrian Center and others. He had recently completed a statewide speaking tour to help nonprofit organizations develop community support for their missions.

Berenberg was co-founder of the internationally recognized Kaiser Roll road race in Bloomington, Minn. in the 1980s. It was the first certified wheelchair road
race in the world, and was the precursor of Olympic Wheelchair Racing.

He served on the National Board of the International Wheelchair Road Racing Commission. Today, he struggles with mobility issues of his own.

Donate to the Reward Fund

Who is the perpetrator?

The hit-and-run happened about 8:30 p.m., April 4 during the Blues Festival. Driver: late 20s or early 30s,

somewhat heavy set, alone in a light or white car resembling a 2001 Hyundai. Something decorative hung from her rear-view mirror.

She was traveling East to West on 6th Avenue North between First & Second Street. She may have been talking on her cell phone. When she fled the scene, she turned right on Second Street, heading in a northerly direction.

She may have been in the area for the Blues Festival.

It was a dark and rainy night...

By Susan D. Brandenburg

It was a dark and rainy night … that somewhat clichéd phrase sounds like the beginning of a fictional horror story, but unfortunately this is a hit and run horror story that is all too real for too many citizens of the First Coast.

“I was flying through the air and the last thing I remember thinking was ‘I’m dead,” recalls Danny Berenberg of Ponte Vedra Beach. It wasn’t until he woke up in excruciating pain at Beaches Baptist Hospital nearly two days later that Berenberg, 63, learned more about the hit and run accident that occurred around 8:30 p.m. on April 4 as he and his houseguest from Canada, Cosmo Costa, crossed a rain-drenched street in Jacksonville Beach.

“Cosmo is still having nightmares about the accident,” said Berenberg, whose friend described in detail the sequence of events that happened on the same day as the Springing the Blues Festival brought crowds of people to the beach.

When Berenberg was hit on 6th Avenue North, between 1st Street and Second Street next to Dolphin Depot, the driver of the car that hit him stopped and got out of her car. Peering at her through the rain, it appeared to Costa that she had a cell phone in her hand.

The Canadian yelled to the driver to call 911, asking her to please come over and hold the umbrella over his friend while he ran to tell their wives about the accident. He crouched next to Berenberg and looked up just in time to see the driver jumping back in her car and driving away. Costa chased after her and got a partial license number before returning to his friend.

Within minutes, several other people had gathered around Berenberg. Forrest Kirk, Manager of Dolphin Depot, called 911, while Dolphin Depot owner, Steve Rider, attempted also to chase down the hit and run car, but lost it as it turned on 2nd Street. “We just tried to keep Danny still until emergency rescue got here,” said Kirk. “Crazy things happen on this corner all the time during these festivals.”

Witnesses described the driver, probably in her late 20’s or early 30’s, as somewhat heavy-set, with light brown or dark blonde hair, driving what appeared to be a 2001 white Hyundai automobile. The vehicle had blotchy, sun-scaled paint. Something decorative hung from the rear-view mirror.

“I’ve got a 22 year old daughter,” said Berenberg. “She could have been driving in the rain at night and accidentally hit someone. It could happen to anyone. I wouldn’t have prosecuted this woman if she had been one of the ten people who came to my aid that night when I was bleeding in the street.”

Berenberg noted “the driver went from accident victim to criminal only when she chose to run.” And choosing to run rather than take responsibility for their actions is, unfortunately, becoming the norm for many local drivers.

According to JSO Senior Public Information Officer Ken Jefferson, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigated 202 hit and run accidents in 2007, and there were 46 hit and run accidents reported from January through April of 2008.

And, in Jacksonville Beach, the number of hit and run accidents has reached epidemic proportions, with 274 hit and runs investigated in 2007, and a whopping 81 hit and run accidents so far in 2008.

“A lot of those listed as hit and run accidents are little fender benders, but all of them become criminal cases when someone flees the scene,” noted Jacksonville Beach Police Vehicular Homicide Detective David Keen, who is currently investigating the Berenberg hit and run case.

“When you hear the actual numbers of hit and runs just in Jacksonville Beach, it really brings it home that law enforcement can’t possibly do it all,” said Berenberg. “This is a matter of every person taking individual responsibility to do the right thing.”

For Berenberg, a highly respected fundraiser and philanthropist, doing the right thing has been a life-long habit, with the exception of a hit and run accident that occurred less then two years ago, when he shirked his duty as a good citizen.

“We were driving on A1A on December 6, 2006, and all I can remember is the loud rumble of a “souped-up” truck next to us and then, BAM!” recalled Berenberg’s wife, Robin. “Danny’s driver’s side window was broken, glass was flying everywhere and we were landing in the culvert.”

Transported by ambulance to Beaches Baptist Emergency Room, treated for minor injuries and released, the Berenbergs never discovered the identity of the driver of the truck that hit them.

“We were O.K. Insurance covered the medical expenses and the damages. We just decided to put it behind us, but it never really went away,” said Robin, who still cringes when she hears the rumble of a truck.

“The problem won’t go away unless someone takes a stand,” said Danny Berenberg. Currently unable to physically stand due to extensive hip and knee injuries resulting from the April 4th hit and run, Berenberg has become a wheelchair warrior for positive change.

“I’m not out to get anyone,” he said. “I hope the woman who hit me comes forward and accepts responsibility, but she’s superfluous, really. The main point is that each of us must take responsibility for our own actions and care enough to intervene on behalf of our fellow man, too. It’s what good citizens do.”

In line with that strong statement and altruistic philosophy, Berenberg has offered a $1,000 reward for the person who offers information leading to the arrest and conviction of the assailant, but there’s a catch. The reward will be made in the form of a donation to that good citizen’s charity of choice. The fund has risen to over $3,000.

Berenberg says he doesn’t believe in rewarding someone for doing what they should have done anyway.

“Instead, I want to acknowledge their heroism by helping their cause,” he said. “In my mind, the person who comes forward will be as much a hero as the ten people who came to my aid on a rainy night in Jacksonville Beach.

"There were ten heroes that night and there was one coward: The hit and run driver,” he said.

Who Hit Danny Berenberg?

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Whose phone number called 911 during the time frame of the hit-and-run

Friday, April 18, 2008

Who Hit Danny?

Donate to the Reward Fund

Who's investigating?

Who is the perpetrator?

News stories

It was a dark and rainy night...

Article in St. Augustine Record

Have you been affected by a hit-and-run crime in Duval County?

FEEDJIT Live Traffic Feed

Hyundai pic

Map of Hit-and-Run location

Danny Berenberg, back in the day

Thanks.