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Hundreds Rally In Support Of Hit-And-Run Victim's Family In Queens

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- As police search for a man accused of slamming  into a livery cab and killing the 37-year-old passenger, hundreds in the community are offering their support to the victim's family.

The crash occurred around 6:45 a.m. on October 15, when 37-year-old George Gibbons closed up his "Gibbon's Home" bar in Maspeth before catching a cab to go home. His cab had only gone a few blocks when, police say, 36-year-old Peter Rodriguez crashed into the vehicle on the service road of the Long Island Expressway.

Rodriguez fled the scene and Gibbons was pronounced dead on arrival.

"He looked out for everyone, and that's why you can see the immense amount of support we're receiving in response to this because people are now returning the favor and looking out for him and trying to get this guy," said Bernadette Gibbons, George's sister.

"Everything was really looking up for him, he was in a really happy place," Gibbons said.

Sources say the suspect has a history of arrests for both narcotics and assaults. Family and friends are plastering his face around the city. There's also a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

"You have this anger towards somebody that is a coward," said Gibbons. "To continue running I think is foolish because he will be found. You see the amount of support we have."

"I just can't believe it, it's like a dream everyday that he's not going to come in to the house. The holidays are coming up. I just can't believe it," said George Gibbon Sr.

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