BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A driver has been sentenced to state prison in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian in West Boca Raton.
The crash occurred around 4:10 a.m. on April 6, 2024, at the intersection of State Road 7 and Sandalfoot Boulevard in Boca Raton. Investigators say a white 2011 GMC Acadia was traveling southbound on SR-7 in the outside lane when it struck a pedestrian who was within or very near the northern pedestrian crosswalk.
The pedestrian, later identified as 65-year-old Martin Albert Barry of Boca Raton, was struck by the left front portion of the SUV, including the bumper, headlight, fender and hood. According to investigators, the impact caused Barry to travel up onto the hood and windshield area before he was thrown onto the pavement.
Barry suffered severe injuries and was transported to Delray Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 5:51 a.m. from injuries sustained in the crash.
Investigators say the driver did not slow or stop after the collision, failed to render aid and left the scene without notifying law enforcement or emergency medical services. Witnesses reported hearing a loud crash and seeing a white SUV continue southbound through the intersection without stopping.
Evidence collected at the crash scene included pieces of plastic and a broken driver-side mirror believed to have come from the vehicle involved. Investigators later determined the mirror components were consistent with an older model GMC Acadia.
Witness statements and license plate reader images placed the vehicle traveling southbound toward the crash site shortly before the collision. Additional images obtained the following day showed damage to the left side of the vehicle consistent with the crash.
Detectives identified the driver as Carlos Madeira Cardoso, born May 16, 1984. According to investigators, attempts to contact him immediately after the crash were unsuccessful, and deputies attempted to locate him at several residences.
Investigators later located the vehicle at a business in Port St. Lucie after an attorney contacted law enforcement and advised where it had been left. Deputies compared the recovered vehicle to debris collected at the crash scene and determined it was the same vehicle involved in the fatal collision.
Prosecutors later filed charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
Court records show Cardoso initially pleaded not guilty and the case proceeded through hearings and status conferences during 2024 and 2025 before he later entered a guilty plea directly to the court in February 2026.
On March 6, 2026, the court adjudicated Cardoso guilty and sentenced him to seven years in state prison for leaving the scene of a crash involving death, including a four-year mandatory minimum term. A second charge of tampering with physical evidence carries a five-year sentence to be served concurrently.
Restitution was reserved in the case, and Cardoso’s driver’s license was revoked for three years.
Investigators with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Division handled the investigation.
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