TikTok star killed in hit-and-run while leaving hospital shift
A hospital worker who had a 190,000-strong following on TikTok has died in a hit-and-run as he was leaving work.
On Tuesday night, Leonardo Gil left Hialeah Hospital in south Florida, and was riding home on his motorcycle when he was allegedly hit by an SUV.
The driver in the SUV fled the scene after briefly stopping following the crash, Hialeah Police officer Eddie Rodriguez said, according to WSVN.
Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers said in a post on Facebook the crash happened at around 9.30pm on the intersection of East 8th Avenue and East 21st Street.
Not only did the motorist that hit Mr Gil flee the scene, but the car behind the SUV also left.
The CCTV footage shared by Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers shows several vehicles driving past Mr Gil.
“The only thing that we know is the people left him on the street and left,” said Mr Gil's aunt Katiuska Fernandez told the news station.
She added that someone later found her nephew lying on the road and then emergency services were called.
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Mr Gil died due to his injuries at Jackson Memorial Hospital, WSVN reported. He was just 34.
'A selfless young man'
On TikTok, Mr Gil had amassed a following of more than 190,000 people. There he shared videos of him at work, wearing his scrubs.
According to NBC 6, Mr Gil worked as an endoscopy technician at Hialeah Hospital and had been there since 2010, after he moved to Florida from Cuba.
The GoFundMe set up to help Mr Gil's family said he started out at the hospital as a janitor, before becoming a patient transporter, and then a technician.
"The family was not prepared for the loss of this loving, kind, selfless young man. He leaves behind a big, loving, united family including his young son," the GoFundMe says.
"Everyone who met him loved him. He was always willing to help others. He was extremely dedicated and hard-working.
"This loss has left his family in disbelief and heartache. His sudden passing has created a void in the lives of everyone he knew."
More than US$45,000 ($A64,800) was raised for the family before the GoFundMe stopped accepting donations.
Police are still looking for the driver involved in the crash.
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