Grieving family of man killed in East Mount Airy hit-and-run speak out: 'He was a best friend'
EAST MOUNT AIRY - Yet another hit-and-run in the City of Philadelphia and one more family devastated by the tragic and sudden loss of their loved one.
The family of Toby Bryant opened up about the loss of a brother, struck by a driver and left for dead in the middle of the street.
"Me and him are really, really close. He was a best friend and a brother combined into one. He was a role model for me."
An emotional family member of 46-year-old Toby Bryant, asking not to be identified by name, fought back tears and opened up to FOX 29 barely 24 hours after the beloved father of three was struck and killed in a deadly hit-and-run incident.
Driver stopped to look at victim before driving off in deadly Philly hit-and-run: police
Witnesses told police that the driver got out, looked back at the victim, then took off, leaving him for dead.
"It was about 12 o’clock at night. I got woken up out of my sleep. My dad called me and he broke the news," the family member said. "I really didn’t believe it."
A life-altering phone call, leaving his family devastated.
Philadelphia police were called to the 7900 block of Ogontz Avenue Tuesday night just after 11, when they found the victim suffering from trauma to the head.
Investigators say it appears Bryant was crossing the street on Ogontz Avenue when a silver-colored Ford sedan, traveling northbound, hit him and just kept on driving.
Chief Inspector Scott Small explained, "According to a witness, the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed, struck our victim and struck him with such force that it knocked him out of his footwear. The car continued northbound and then, according to the witness, stopped, the driver got out, looked back at the victim, got back in the car and left the scene."
Bryant’s family tells FOX 29 their loved one was just leaving work when he was killed. "He was a barber and his barber shop was a block down from there," the family member continued, "I imagine he was coming from the store. He had food in his hands. He was on his way home after a long day’s work and then, boom"
Leaving his grieving family wondering why someone would just leave their son for dead. "I know that is hard to do the right thing and I’ve been in plenty of situations where I didn’t know - I didn’t want be honest, but I had to man up and be honest. But, I think you should tell the truth, so that he can rest well at night and be at peace and also give my mom and family peace. He had a lot of love in his heart for his family. We miss him."
Philadelphia police say they are looking for the driver of the Ford sedan and released photos of both the driver and the sedan. Anyone with information regarding the incident, the driver or the vehicle is asked to call police immediately.
Philadelphia police are searching for the driver of a silver Ford sedan who, they say, hit and killed a man on Ogontz Ave. and drove away.
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