SUPERIOR TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Washtenaw County Sheriff's office is searching for a driver believed to have hit and killed a pedestrian over the weekend before fleeing the scene.
The sheriff's office says passersby found the 53-year-old victim Sunday morning around 8:22 am. They believe the woman was hit sometime overnight on Prospect Rd. near Park Ln. in Superior Township.
Family members have since identified the victim as Shelly Mason, a mother of 5 children and grandmother to 6 children. Her family says she was out for a walk at the time of the crash.
"It hurt, pain, devastated, kind of unbelievable. I wanted to do something but I couldn't," said Mason's eldest son Chris Gillum.
Police say they believe the driver was in a white 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee when they hit the victim. Investigators say the truck likely has damage on the front passenger hood, grill, and quarter panel area.
Mason's family is now pleading with the person responsible to turn themselves in. They're also offering a reward of an unspecified amount to anyone with information that leads to an arrest.
"She didn't deserve to be left out there like this," said Gillum. "They took somebody really special to me and a lot of other people because, maybe if they would have stopped and did the right thing, she'd still be alive today."
Gillum says he'll miss his mother's smile the most and her spirit which touched so many.
"She was loving, caring. She had a lot of compassion in her heart. She was just a joy to be around. I want them to remember her as just an angel," he said of his mom."Even though it's hard to do it right now, but I remember she used to always tell me you have to laugh to keep from crying."
Anyone with information about that driver should reach out to Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office Detective Webb at webbb@washtenaw.org or Lt. Cratsenburg at cratsenburgj@washtenaw.org. Tips can also be directed to the sheriff’s office tip line at 734-973-7711.
