The sister of the hit-and-run victim in south Sacramento this weekend is identifying him as 60-year-old Gerald Hall.
The Sacramento Police Department said it is searching for not one, but possibly two hit-and-run suspects that they said left Rayetta Hall’s brother for dead.
Rayetta Hall
“I just pray to God that you’ll have a soul and just come forth and say something,” said Hall.
The crash happened just after 5 a.m. on Florin Road and 24th Street on Saturday.
Police said by the time first responders arrived, the cars had already fled the scene, and despite life-saving efforts, the man who was hit died.
“I think he was just crossing the road,” said Hall. “My brother had grand mal seizures, so I don’t know if it was an episode.”
Hall placed balloons and flowers near the street where her brother was left for dead. She said that he had recently gotten out of prison, was battling drugs and made the decision to move out of her house. He was homeless at the time he was hit.
“He was probably out here for two weeks at least,” Hall said.
The creator of Slow Down Sacramento, Isaac Gonzalez, said this is one of the most dangerous intersections in the city.
He has been asking for more safety measures to be added here, but he says, regardless, the responsibility falls on each of us.
“When two people hit a human being and don’t even stop, what kind of a community do we live in?” said Gonzalez.
Data from the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office shows that there have been 148 motor vehicle accident deaths so far this year.
The data shows that there have been 27 deaths in this particular pocket in the city that Gonzalez said people fly down like a freeway.
Earlier this month, the city approved the installation of 90 new speed lumps for over half a million dollars.
“They’ve taken steps in the right direction to begin addressing those, but in this instance, it wasn’t fast enough,” Gonzalez said
“Now he’s at peace,” said Hall.
As Sacramento traffic deaths climb, Hall wants justice for the latest victim, her brother.
“I have to forgive, but now that they left the scene, I think they need to be prosecuted to the fullest,” said Hall.
“Every life lost on our streets is one too many, and we owe it to this victim and their family to do everything we can to seek justice and improve safety for all,” said Sacramento City Councilmember for District 5, Caity Maple. “I will continue to uplift pedestrian and cyclist safety as one of the most pressing issues in our city.”
The Sacramento Police Department gave no vehicle descriptions. There are several traffic cameras at the intersection that will likely help investigators catch whoever is responsible.