Family Devastated After Queens Couple Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver On Way To Work On New Year's Day
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver they say killed two people and then fled the scene Friday in Far Rockaway, Queens.
Officers noticed a Dodge Ram driving erratically around 5 a.m. near Ocean Crest Boulevard and Rockaway Freeway.
The truck then hit a Nissan Rogue, killing the 60-year-old driver and her 57-year-old passenger.
Family members identified the victims as Thelma Reid and husband Donovan Gibbon.
CBS2s Kiran Dhillon spoke with the families of the victims, who said they were devastated by their deaths.
Reid and Gibbon had just celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary. So in love, they did everything together, including traveling the world, attending church and driving to work at JFK Airport.
That's where they were headed when they were killed.
"They are the nicest people. They gave of themselves. They were good church-going Christians. They weren't even supposed to be at work today. They got called in," Reid's daughter, Trisha Williams, told Dhillon. "She was one of my best friends... My birthday is Monday. We were supposed to go to dinner."
Police said the driver of the Dodge ran off, leaving his two passengers behind.
One was taken to the hospital with cuts to his head, and the other was charged with disorderly conduct. Both are expected to be OK.
The crash took place just blocks from where Reid and Gibbon lived. Devastated family members gathered there shortly after.
"It will never be the same for us. Never," said Reid's sister, Dorothy Rowe. "It is so hard, it is so tough, my God almighty."
The couple left behind a large family and wide circle of friends. For Reid, that includes two daughters and a 13-year-old grandson.
The tight-knit family just spent Christmas together and is now preparing to plan a double funeral.
"Very loving, humble, funny, hardworking people," Williams' niece, Renee Brightly, said. "This is just a void that's going to be left in our life forever."
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The family is now pleading with the driver to go to the police.
Anyone with information about the driver's whereabouts is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
CBS2's Kiran Dhillon contributed to this report.