TIFTON — Georgia State Patrol has arrested a Tifton man believed to be the driver in a deadly hit-and-run accident Jan. 23.

State patrol officers have been on the lookout for the driver of a white Dodge Durango that allegedly struck Johnnie McKinnon, 81, of Tifton Jan. 23.

McKinnon had been attempting to cross Fifth Street when the Durango struck him, the GSP said. It circled back around then fled the scene, troopers said. McKinnon was then struck by three additional vehicles before being transported to Tift Regional Medical Center and passing away from his injuries.

The driver, later identified as Alejandro Cruz, 32, of Tifton, was arrested Jan. 27 around 1 p.m. after the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip regarding a vehicle matching the description of the Durango.

Philip Kilgore, commander of Georgia State Patrol Post 13, explained that the investigation team had been relying on camera footage of the accident, which had not been able to capture the vehicle’s tag but had identified the damages caused by the collision, thus providing them a means of identifying the vehicle.

Kilgore reported that the state patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team H was still conducting investigation into the case.