FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Police are searching for the driver who hit two pedestrians on busy Las Olas Boulevard Wednesday night.

The victims, both women, were crossing the street at 11th Avenue when they were struck by a black SUV, witnesses said. They said it sounded like two cars collided.

"The one person that I did see, she was not moving. The other person I just saw. It just seemed like they were just laying over each other," said Marilyn Handrahan who was eating dinner with her husband at a nearby restaurant.

According to police, Carolyn Bianco, 65, and Victoria Kirby, 62, were crossing northbound East Las Olas Boulevard, near 1032 East Las Olas Boulevard when a dark SUV hit them.

Bianco sustained a serious life-threatening head injury and is in critical condition at Broward General Medical Center. Kirby received minor injuries and is expected to be OK.

Dominic Casalle, who also witnessed the crash, said the SUV stopped briefly after the impact, then sped away.

“There was no question he knew he hit something," Casalle told Local 10's Roger Lohse.

The impact knocked some jewelry off one of the victims and a piece of chrome off the SUV. Traffic homicide detectives will use it to figure out what kind of vehicle it came from.

“Hopefully there’s a tag number on there and we can catch the guy and lock him up," Casalle said.

Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the crash is asked to contact Traffic Homicide Investigator Jonathan Graham at 954-828-5125 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.