A manhunt continued early Wednesday for a driver who allegedly hit and critically injured an Orange County sheriff's deputy on Interstate 4 near the tourist-filled Universal Studios Orlando theme park.

Authorities placed Universal Studios theme park under lockdown Tuesday night after reports that the man believed to be responsible for hitting the deputy was spotted there, Local 6 News reported.

"(Police) even went so far as to search every single car leaving Universal Studios but in the end, the suspect is still on the loose," Local 6 reporter Deborah Garcia said.

Investigators said the incident began when sheriff's Deputy Michael Callin stood on an I-4 median and tried to perform a traffic stop near Universal Boulevard and Kirkman Road.

However, the vehicle did not stop.

"The suspect just ran the deputy down and left him there to die," Orange County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Solomons said. "For whatever reason, he chose to take out a sheriff's deputy tonight."

"The car struck him and kept going for a few hundred feet," Local 6 News reporter Deborah Garcia said. "As the deputy lay injured, the driver and several passengers took off on foot. In total, there was one driver and three passengers in the Honda that hit Deputy Michael Callin."

One passenger remained in the vehicle and two other passengers were taken into custody by K-9 units. The driver fled the area on foot and eluded police.

The driver is described as a Hispanic man about 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing about 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white tank-top shirt.

Authorities closed I-4, the ramp to Kirkman Road and Universal Boulevard and Major Boulevard and other nearby roads during the search.

Hundreds of cars sat for hours at Universal Studios as police checked each vehicle, Local 6 News reported.

Callin, 26, was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition.

Anyone with information concerning the incident is urged to call the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Watch Local 6 Weather for more on this story.