Exclusive: Family speaks out after 75-year-old killed in NYC hit and run
RIDGEWOOD, Queens (WABC) -- Police are searching for a driver who struck and killed a 75-year-old man in Queens Sunday evening, and now, the man's devastated family is speaking exclusively to Eyewitness News.
It happened around 7:40 p.m. at Myrtle and Seneca avenues in Ridgewood, where the victim, Be Tran, was crossing the road when police say he was hit by a black BMW traveling east on Myrtle.
Family members say Tran was finishing his last food delivery of the night.
"He was a really great person," daughter Tina Tran said. "He taught me and my sister how to drive, lessons on how to be a good person in life. And he passed away, unreasonably. It's not fair. It's not fair at all."
Tran worked for DoorDash and the company released a statement after learning of his death.
"This is a heartbreaking tragedy and our thoughts are with his loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time," the statement said. "We are reaching out to his loved ones to extend our deepest condolences and offer our support. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation and hope those responsible for this horrible crime are brought to justice."
The driver fled southbound on Seneca Avenue, leaving Tran to die in the street.
"I love you, thank you for everything," daughter Anh Tran said. "Thank you for raising me and helping me become the person I am today. I wouldn't be here without him."
Witnesses said the victim could have survived if the driver of the car had stopped.
Anh Tran said he was the kind of father who would do anything for his daughter, the kind of man who'd do anything for his family.
"He was a very giving man," she said. "He never asked for much. Very simple life. And I just really hope that he's happy."
Be Tran immigrated to this country from Vietnam in the mid-90s and raised more than his daughters.
He leaves behind a big family who leaned on him. He was their rock.
"He raised me, more than my father," nephew Quang Pham said. "The last message I got from him was, 'Don't worry.'"
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family pay for funeral costs.
No arrests have been made, and the NYPD Highway Collision Investigation Squad is still investigating.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
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