A woman was killed on a busy street with several witnesses but the hit and run driver who sped off remains at large.
It happened on Baxter Avenue Friday night and the victim was a member of a local non-profit.
Nuril Papapietro, who went by "Dini," was a member of Gilda's Club, which is a non-profit organization which supports cancer patients and their families.
She had joined the organization to support her mother in law, who has cancer.
The club's director says that Dini had just dropped off her daughter for a Thanksgiving party and was walking back to her car when she fell and was struck.
While it appears to have been an accident, the fact that the driver kept going means the consequences he or she will likely face will likely be much more serious than if they had stopped and rendered aid.
The accident stopped traffic and stunned witnesses.
When 37-year-old Dini Papapietro stumbled in the street, she was hit by a white van.
“Both wheels went right over her. They didn't just hit her, they went right over her and sped off immediately,” said Kyle Riggs, who witnessed the accident.
Dini later died at the hospital. Police collected clues.
“We were able to recover some fragments of the car, which we're trying to process that to see if that matches anything,” said LMPD Spokesman Dwight Mitchell.
“I'm sure the police picked up everything in the street because they know they're gonna need parts off that car for identification purposes,” said Ott’s Body Shop operator Donnie Ott. “It’s kind of like CSI body shop.”
Ott says he will be on high alert for the vehicle, which was described by police as a late 90's model white Pontiac Tran Sport minivan.
Ott says many of its parts are numbered and are traceable.
“These pieces are gonna be broken and cracked on the car,” said Ott, pointing to a plastic bracket on a car in his shop. “There’s Toyota markings all over right here. It says Toyota plain as day.”
The vehicle model should also stand out.
“Because it's not that new, it should be very easy to spot,” said Mitchell.
Police ask you to look for damage to the lights and front bumper areas.
They hope to find the driver to determine what happened and why he or she drove away.
They also hope to be able to give closure to a family that just lost a wife and mother.
“Come forward. Come forward because it's the right thing to do,” said Mitchell.
A memorial service for Papapietro has been scheduled for Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at Gilda's Club.
If you have any information about the vehicle involved in the crash, contact police at 574-LMPD.
