Family Asks For Fatal Hit-And-Run Witnesses To Come Forward
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- City detectives are looking for leads in a hit-and-run case that could bring some closure for one family. Police say a dirt bike rider struck the victim, a young mother.
Gigi Barnett explains her family is pleading with potential witnesses to come forward.
"I would hate to see this happen to another family to go through what I'm going through 'cause I feel that it can be preventable," said Marva Blanding.
Blanding has one question for the hit-and-run motorcycle driver who killed her 24-year-old daughter Allison on Sunday: "Why?"
It's a question city police are looking to answer, too.
Investigators say Blanding was in a parking lot at the West Cold Spring Metro Station Sunday night, headed to her car. A group of dirt bike drivers were also in the lot, performing stunts and wheelies. One of the drivers slammed into Blanding, killing her.
Dirt bikes of any kind, used in any way, are illegal in Baltimore.
"You got all of these little bikers. Sometimes it's anywhere from 10 to 20 of them. They're coming between cars. That's frightful. Not only that, it's dangerous," Blanding said.
Now Blanding's family and police are asking potential witnesses from that night to speak up.
"There was a large group of people up there watching the dirt bikes and we know that there was several dirt bikes, so we're asking for the community's help," said Baltimore Police Spokesman Det. Jeremy Silbert.
Blandings' family says that appeal is also going out to the driver of the dirt bike.
"I'm not a vicious person. I'm angry and I'm hurt. I don't know which of the two is the most," she said. "But if you knew that you hit someone, why not stop to see what you did or how you can help?"
The family says the hard part now is explaining to Blanding's six-year-old daughter how her mother died.
Some of Blandings' high school classmates are planning a vigil for her at Woodlawn High School Saturday night.