WSVN — A father of eight was hit and killed while riding his motorcycle. The man who hit him was just ticketed for the crash. Now his daughter is fighting for justice. Rosh Lowe has the story in tonight’s Lowedown.
Satonya Brown: "I’ve been here for over a month and a half by my dad’s bedside, and I can’t even express the pain watching him try to fight throughout the whole time and lose the battle."
Satonya Brown has been in the U.S. Navy for the past 27 years, but this is the fight of her life.
Satonya Brown: "I joined the Navy to better myself. I grew up in the projects of the Brownsville area [in Miami], and I wanted to better my life."
Her dad, 63-year-old John Lee Brown, taught her to never give up and to always stand up for her beliefs.
Satonya Brown: "He told me, ‘Baby girl, go as far as you can go in life. There’s nothing too hard. Take it to the top. Do what you can do.’"
Now she is fighting for her dad. Sixty-three-year-old Jon Lee Brown, a father of eight, passed away Oct. 15, two months after this accident in Northwest Miami-Dade.
Satonya Brown: "The vehicle and my father on the motorcycle slide into the intersection, where they impact another vehicle."
The highlighted surveillance video shows the motorcycle Brown was riding after it was hit. A driver was cited for the accident for following too closely.
Satonya Brown: "He fought a good fight, but he wasn’t strong enough to make it."
Satonya wants to make sure Miami-Dade Police thoroughly investigate her father’s death.
Satonya Brown: "I would like them to do what they have been sworn to do. Look into this investigation and do the right thing. Do the right thing by my dad."
She says, at first, it was difficult to get the police report.
Satonya Brown: "The reason the report was delayed was because it was filed under an incorrect case number. They figured it out and provided me the report."
Now that a death is involved, the traffic homicide division of Miami-Dade Police is handling the case.
Satonya Brown: "All of us, myself included, are sworn to serve and defend and protect the citizens of the United States."
We are not identifying the driver who hit Brown because no criminal charges have been filed. In fact, even his ticket has been dismissed. But that doesn’t mean this case is over.
Satonya Brown: "It makes me feel sad that in this country that I serve, that is supposed to be one of the world’s superpowers, I come home to this. I don’t understand how something like this can be overlooked and swept away like he didn’t matter."
Miami-Dade Police say it is not being overlooked. They say cases need to be investigated thoroughly, and that takes time. But they understand, for a family, one day seems like an eternity.
Satonya Brown: "I believe in mercy and grace, but we are all held accountable. Hold people accountable for their actions. And to me, that is justice, and that’s all I want. Justice."