Search for suspect continues a month after fatal Montgomery County hit-and-run
Search continues for driver in deadly Silver Spring hit-and-run
Montgomery County police are searching for a hit-and-run driver accused of striking and killing a woman in Silver Spring.
SILVER SPRING, Md. - The search for a hit-and-run driver responsible for the death of a 61-year-old Silver Spring woman is ongoing more than a month after the incident.
What we know:
Montgomery County police are calling for help from the community as they work to identify the driver who struck and killed Hanna Wegayehou on Friday, June 19, at approximately 1:15 p.m.
Police said Wegayehou was in the crosswalk at the intersection of Colesville Road and Crestmoor Drive, walking home from a nearby Trader Joe's, when she was struck.
Wegayehou moved to the U.S. from Ethiopia more than 30 years ago and spent two decades working for the U.S. Department of Transportation. Her family has created a memorial with flowers at the intersection where the collision occurred.
"We are heartbroken," said her son, Nate Tinbite. "We’re frustrated, and we cannot make sense of it because there’s no sense to be made. Someone took the person we love most in this world and drove away as if she were nothing."
As the investigation reaches a dead end, investigators are searching for a dark-colored Lexus RX from the model years 2009 to 2014, which was captured on a nearby camera on the afternoon of the crash. Police noted that the vehicle likely sustained front-end damage.
A Lexus sustained damage after a hit-and-run in Silver Spring.
Because other nearby government and residential security cameras failed to capture additional images of the SUV, investigators believe the driver either lives or was visiting someone in the local Woodmoor neighborhood at the time.
What you can do:
Sergeant Eli Kinser of the Montgomery County Police Department asked residents to report any suspicious details or sudden repairs from around the date of the incident.
"We’re not asking anyone to accuse their neighbors. We’re simply asking people to think back to June 19," Sgt. Kinser said. "Did you notice a vehicle with fresh damage? Did someone tell you a story that didn’t quite add up? Did a friend, a neighbor, coworker, or family member suddenly remember something or have damage to a Lexus or unexpectedly have one repaired? If so, we wanna hear from you."
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A $10,000 reward offered by police for information leading to an arrest has been matched by Wegayehou‘s family.
Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact Montgomery County Police.
The Source: This information is from Montgomery County Police and FOX 5 DC reporting.