Rochester Hills man gravely injured by illegal resident of Columbia in crash

FOX 2 - A 72-year-old man was gravely injured after being struck by a car driven by an illegal immigrant while he was crossing a road in Rochester Hills.

The victim was hit at about 6:45 a.m. Friday near the intersection of Rochester Road and Avon Road. The suspect is a 28-year-old Columbian man who entered the country illegally.

The resident of Columbia was driving a 2013 Ford Focus and was headed northbound on Rochester Road while the pedestrian was walking westbound on Avon Road.

The Rochester Hills man was then struck while crossing Rochester Road - despite wearing a reflective vest at the time and investigators believe he was in a marked cross walk when he was struck.

He was transported to the hospital by Rochester Hills Fire Department paramedics.

It is being investigated by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Crash Reconstruction Unit and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which determined the driver of the vehicle entered the U.S. illegally. 

The suspect was released pending a future hearing date in federal court.

Investigators say speed, alcohol, nor drug use appear to be factors in the incident.