Police Identify 67-Year-Old Man Killed In Queens Hit-And-Run
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A truck struck and killed a man while he crossed the street in Queens on Christmas night.
Police are now searching for the driver. CBS2's Charlie Cooper spoke to the victim's son on Thursday.
The victim was killed on 114th Street and Rockaway Boulevard in South Ozone Park only moments after celebrating with his family.
The holidays will never be the same for the Dalrymples after the man they call the "rock" of their family was struck down at around 9:30 p.m.
"My father, he was a family man. He loved his family. There's four of us kids -- my two sisters here, my brother and seven grandchildren that he loved, that he was with yesterday," Ainsley Dalrymple Jr. said.
Ainsley Dalrymple Jr. said his father, 67-year-old Ainsley Dalrymple Sr., left his house with his wife to go to nearby Resorts World Casino. They made a stop at a gas station and as he crossed the street a pickup truck slammed into him.
"She was in the car while he went into the store and she said she just heard a bang," Dalrymple Jr. said.
"When I came outside I saw him on the floor and I started calling the cops," witness Josanne Ramkissoon said.
When police arrived they found Dalrymple Sr. with severe head and body trauma laying between two parked cars. He was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
"We had a great dinner. We never expected that that was going to be our final time with him," Dalrymple Jr. said.
"It was really sad to see somebody lost their life on Christmas," Ramkissoon added.
Police said the person who hit him was driving a silver or gray Toyota truck and traveling westbound on Rockaway Boulevard. The person behind the wheel never stopped after hitting the victim. People who live and work in the area said they weren't surprised.
"They don't respect the speed limit here because it's 25. Sometimes you see them flying over here maybe 40-50," store owner Willie Munoz said.
"To the person that did it, we hope that the person decides to turn themselves in, but like I said we leave it to God," Dalrymple Jr. said.
Police said they don't have a description of the driver just yet, but the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74682), logging onto the Crime stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577.
A memorial fund for Ainsley Dalrymple Sr. has been set up. To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/ainsley-dalrymple-memorial-fund.