Police recover vehicle believed to be involved in fatal I-95 hit-and-run

CHESTER, Pa. (WTXF) - Police are searching for the driver of a 2015 Volkswagen Passat who they say hit and killed Ron Williams early Saturday morning.

On Sunday, police located the vehicle they believed was involved. It was found near State Route 9 and Hamburg Road in New Castle County, Delaware, according to police.

It was just off I-95 at Highland Avenue in Chester where 46-year-old Ron Williams pulled over just before 3 a.m. Saturday. Why he pulled over is not clear. He got out of his car and was struck and killed by a hit and run driver.

"Super, super guy," said lifelong friend Rick Johnson.

Friends say Williams, known as Peabody, after his father, had just finished his shift as a bartender at Boots and Bonnets a few blocks away.

"I was with him last night. He was just happy go lucky, as always," Johnson said.

Police were there Saturday afternoon, looking for surveillance video to make sure no one followed Williams out of the bar when he left. His cousin says he had no enemies.

"He treated everybody equally. He was nice. He gave you his heart. And he did what he could do for anybody," said Carla Tilghman, Williams' cousin.

"We loved him here! Love you, Peabody," yelled a crowd from inside the American Legion post.

He was remembered fondly Saturday afternoon at the local American Legion post, where he used to bartend for years. A member of the Son of the Legion, friends say he was involved with charities, fundraising and, as a dad himself, helping kids.

"People less fortunate. He was Santa Claus a couple of years. Had to shave his mustache off, he didn't like that. But, he shaved it off, okay. But he did. He was Santa Claus," said friend Erick Lewis.

"Everybody gonna shed tears, but everybody loved Peabody. He's a very, very nice person. Not gonna find nobody talk bad about Peabody," another friend, Jeff Handy, said.

But, someone hit and killed him early Saturday. And, family and friends are now desperate to learn who it was.

"I know you're horrified, you're scared. But, love goes out to you, if you just come on and do the right thing," said Johnson.

Anyone with any information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop K, Criminal Investigation Unit at 484-840-1000.