INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis driver now faces charges for hitting and killing a pedestrian and then driving off.
Back at the end of May, 47-year-old Roy Hodges Jr.’s life was cut short when a driver hit and killed him early one morning near the intersection of West Washinton Street and Banner Avenue.
“He always put everybody first,” Roy’s brother Justin Hodges said.
Colorful pictures and heartfelt memories are all that is left for Roy’s family as they continue to mourn his loss a month and a half later.
“My brother was a wonderful human being,” Roy’s sister Kimberly Munos said. “He loved us and loved his granddaughters so very much. He deserves to be here.”
According to court documents, Roy Hodges had been walking in the street when he was hit by a vehicle on Washington Street. Detectives noted there were no designated pedestrian crosswalks or traffic controls for vehicles traveling east or west near the intersection.
“He didn’t have any other place to go but in the road,” Munos said.
Court records show a small SUV hit Roy Hodges from behind as he was walking, which threw him in the air and back onto the road. According to the Marion County Coroner’s Office, he died from an atlantooccipital dislocation, or internal decapitation, which records state “was most likely due to the initial impact and was likely an instantaneous or nearly instantaneous death.”
Police obtained surveillance footage in the area that shows the driver who initially hit Roy turned around and eventually came back to the very intersection where he had been hit. According to police, the driver’s headlights illuminated Roy’s body when the car pulled back up to the scene. Moments later, investigators said the driver took off and left the scene.
“Seeing that my brother was laying in the street, he was so cold-hearted that he didn’t even call for help,” Justin Hodges said. “He left him there. Then two other cars ran over my brother.”
Court documents said IMPD used license plate readers to track down Jerry Alexander, the driver police said initially hit Roy. Records show police found substantial damage on the car, which police said belonged to Alexander’s mother.
According to probable cause documents, police spoke with Alexander at his mother’s home. Investigators said Alexander told them about the crash but said he did not see anything when he returned to the scene and did not know he hit a person.
Documents also state that police found substantial damage to the car, which appeared to be under repair in Alexander’s mother’s garage. Police said the hood of the car had been removed and a plastic tarp covered a portion of the vehicle. Detectives said the SUV matched the vehicle seen in surveillance footage.
“How can you do that,” asked Roy’s mother Peggy Scotten. “How do you run over someone, and you know it’s a person and you leave them for dead?”
Alexander is now charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death or catastrophic injury.
“He knew it was my son,” Scotten said. “He knew it was.”
According to court documents, detectives attempted to use surveillance video and license plate readers to find other vehicles that may have been involved but were not able to find them. IMPD told FOX59/CBS4 that detectives are not looking for another driver at this time.
Roy’s siblings and mother said they are grateful police caught at least one driver. They also said they are thankful for police technology like license plate readers.
Roy’s family now have a simple message for other drivers on the road.
“We need people to understand if you don’t stop, you’re in more trouble,” Scotten said. “If you stop, you don’t have nearly the trouble as when you keep running.”
“If you just stop, you’re going to save yourself heartache,” Munos added. “You’re going to save families like my mine heartache.”
Roy Hodges’ family said they are also calling on the state to increase criminal penalties for hit-and-run perpetrators.
Jerry Alexander has a pre-trial conference currently scheduled for Sept. 24.
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