OCALA, Fla. (AP) - Officials say two pedestrians have died while crossing busy roadways in Ocala on Thanksgiving.
    
Ocala police say a red Chevrolet Trailblazer struck 23-year-old William McDonald in s crosswalk before fleeing early Thursday. Police later arrested 25-year-old Joseph Stewart on charges of leaving the scene of an accident. He told police panicked when he hit the pedestrian.
    
The Ocala Star-Banner (http://bit.ly/V1atv1 ) reports McDonald was home from college for the holiday break.
    
Later Thursday evening, 42-year-old Patrick Joseph Wisocky was fatally struck as he walked along U.S. 301. It was his birthday.
    
The Florida Highway Patrol says 49-year-old John Syme was driving the Jeep Cherokee that struck Wisockiy. They say speed was not a factor. An investigation continues.
    
___
    
Information from: Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner, http://www.starbanner.com/

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)