Family begs suspects to come forward after victim killed in hit-and-run: 'Turn yourself in'
PHILADELPHIA - A Port Richmond community is mourning AutoZone worker, Kevin Taylor, after he was killed in a severe hit-and-run last week.
"A loving father, a huge protector of a big brother, a mama’s boy and a daddy’s boy," said Shante Thompson, Kevin’s sister.
All characteristics Thompson uses to describe her older brother Kevin Taylor, but sadly, the man she calls a gentle giant would abruptly have his life taken away.
"Huge loss, I’m telling you, it’s so unbelievable," said Thompson.
Last Sunday just before 7:30 a.m., surveillance cameras captured the moment that police say Taylor was driving his AutoZone work vehicle on Richmond Street in Port Richmond, when suddenly a Dodge Ram traveling on Venango Street at an extremely high rate of speed ran a red light, hitting Taylor’s vehicle.
"We didn’t know the severity of it until we got to the hospital and they said that he was in an emergency brain operation," said Thompson.
Taylor fought in the hospital for several days before passing away, leaving behind a wife and three children.
Victim in violent hit-and-run in Port Richmond dies, police say
Investigators say the truck that ran the red light was traveling so fast, it pushed both vehicles into at least five parked cars.
"I love you Kev, and I’m so sorry this happened to you, I’m so sorry," said Thompson.
Back at the scene in Port Richmond surrounding the remaining damage from the crash, sits a memorial for Taylor, but what also remains there that can’t be seen is a feeling Shante and her family are in need of…closure.
As police say the juveniles in the vehicle who hit Taylor all fled from the scene.
"Just turn yourself in and maybe your karma will be alleviated because this is horrible. What if it was their brother, what if it was their dad, they would never want to feel the pain that we are feeling," said Thompson.
In Kevin’s memorial he is seen wearing an Eagles Jersey which family tell us he was a huge Eagles fan.
The family has created a GoFundMe page to raise money.