HOBE SOUND, Fla. — A decomposed body of a man was found by a construction crew Thursday afternoon off Bridge Road in Martin County, according to the sheriff's office.
Sheriff William Snyder told WPTV's Joel Lopez the body is a Black man aged 30 to 50 years old.
The Florida Highway Patrol, who took over the investigation, said the body was discovered in a water-filled ditch on the south shoulder of Bridge Road just west of the entrance to Becker Tree Farm driveway in Hobe Sound. The driveway is located just east of Interstate 95.
FHP said the body was in the early stages of decomposition.
"That's what's making this really hard," Snyder said. "The first thing we have to do is we have to identify the victim. then we'll identify who hit him. We have no missing person reports and we have no identification on the body."
Investigators said a bicycle was located Sunday by a worker in the area earlier in the week. Damage to the bicycle was consistent with a crash, FHP spokeswoman Indiana Miranda said.
Snyder said the case is being investigated as a hit-and-run. If you have any information, you are asked to contact authorities.
The medical examiner will determine the official cause of the man's death.
"Bridge Road in that section from I-95 east to U.S. 1 is really a treacherous roadway," Snyder said.
The investigation caused some traffic slowdowns in the area for several hours.
