Police identify husband killed in DC hit-and-run; search for suspect continues
WASHINGTON - Police in D.C. continue to search for the driver involved in a deadly hit-and-run, killing one man who was dragged through a parking lot.
The victim killed was identified Thursday by police as 62-year-old Alton Kelly of Southeast D.C. According to police, a white Ford Taurus was heading eastbound on the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue SE, crossing Naylor Road on Wednesday just after noon.
At the intersection, Kelly and his wife were crossing Alabama Avenue in or near the crosswalk at Naylor Road when the driver hit both people. Kelly was dragged underneath the car and through a parking lot, dislodging from under the car several hundred feet away on the 2900 block of Denver Street, SE.
His wife, who was not identified by police Thursday, was taken to the hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Victor Sanchez works with a construction company that has been working on Denver Street for about a week and said he heard a noise, initially thinking the car hit a traffic cone.
"When I see the vehicle, I told him ‘Stop! Don’t leave. Stop, stop!’" Sanchez said. "He never stopped."
Kelly’s twin sister Alva spoke with FOX 5 over the phone Thursday. Alva Kelly lives in North Carolina and said her brother lost his eyesight about 15 years ago due to a complication with medication prescribed to him for conjunctivitis.
"Right now, I’m just heartbroken," she said. "Not having his eyesight and being hit by a car, that was one of the things he feared the most and just to know that he passed like, it’s just heartbreaking."
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She added, her brother was a hardworking person. Even medical complications, she said her brother still worked for as long as he could.
"He was loved. He was a loving person that loved the Lord. He cared about his family, his children. He was a great father, a great husband, and a great brother. We all loved him," she said.
Jestine McCall lives on the 2900 block of Denver Street, where markings from the hit-and-run were still visible Thursday. McCall told FOX 5, this was an example of a disturbing and serious disregard for human life.
"No, I’m not surprised. I’m not surprised at all, because you go to all of these neighborhoods and you see all of the balloons and teddy bears and flowers sitting out, because someone has been hurt or damaged by a vehicle. Even gunshot fires and stuff like that. It’s terrible," McCall said.
She’s lived on Denver Street for about seven years and said drivers often seem to ignore traffic laws and speed limits set for the street.
"I can hear all of this commotion, cars speeding down the street. They think it’s funny," she said. "Something has got to be done about this. Just because you might not have a lot of money, that does not mean that you
don’t have a code of ethics that you live by. Moral values, regard for human life, but they don’t care. They don’t care."
As for Kelly’s family, Alva said they’re trying to support each other as they deal with the unexpected loss.
"If you have any type of conscience and if you have a heart, please just turn yourself in. You took our brother, a father, a husband. You took him away from us. We have to look to the Lord for forgiveness, but just please turn yourself in," she said, referring to the driver.
According to police, officers canvassing the area eventually found the suspect vehicle empty. The driver has not been located, as of this writing.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.