NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - The family of a 55-year-old that, police say, was left to die following a hit-and-run Tuesday is desperately looking for answers.
According to officials, around 6 a.m. Tuesday, a vehicle hit a scooter in the area of Northwest 22nd Avenue and 54th Street. The driver and passenger of the car fled the scene on foot, prompting police to search the vicinity.
“Please. Give my family closure. He didn’t deserve this,” said Nykia Eating, the victim’s stepdaughter.
Eating returned to the scene Tuesday evening to place balloons and flowers as a way to remember her stepfather.
“I just pray that he find justice. They left him. They just left him like that. My family is hurting right now,” said Eating.
The family identified the victim as Anthony Manning. They say he was a man loved by everyone.
“He was known. Everybody loved him. We loved him so much. We miss him already,” said Eating.
Miami-Dade Police said the driver ran a red light and hit the male victim as he was on his way to work, killing him on the scene.
“He was at my house last night. He kept saying ‘I want to go to work tomorrow.’ He kept telling everybody, ”I gotta go, I gotta go to work tomorrow. He died trying to go to work,” said Eating.
Police are searching for the hit-and-run driver who took off by foot along with a passenger after crashing into Manning.
The family said Manning had just gotten his scooter a month ago as he waited for his car to get fixed in the shop.
When asked how she will remember her stepfather, Eating said “loving”.
“Loving. The only Dad I had. Can’t get another one,” said Eating.
A local pastor said these kind of incidents in the area have become a major problem.
“You can run from police, but you can’t run from yourself. Right?,” said Charles Dinkins, senior pastor at Hosanna Community Baptist Church. “So at the end of the day, you’ve got to face yourself and the consequences of your actions. Things like this happen all the time in the community. You become almost immune to it.”
Live video footage captured the victim’s body covered by a yellow tarp near a black BMW that police focused their investigation on. Hours later, a medical examiner was on the scene to transport the body to the medical examiner’s office.
Several blocks were taped off as authorities searched for evidence and the driver who struck the scooter. Evidence markers placed next to debris and personal belongings.
“Preferably the young people or those who were involved will see the need to turn themselves in and turn their life around even,” Dinkins said.
Police have not confirmed nor denied whether the BMW was stolen.
If you have any information on this crime, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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