Police Sources: Jeep Found, But Suspect Still At Large In Deadly Union Square Hit-And-Run
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police may be closing in on the hit-and-run driver who killed a pedestrian in Union Square this week.
As CBS2's Valerie Castro reported, the collision early Tuesday was caught on surveillance camera.
Video released Wednesday shows a dark-colored 2016 Jeep Renegade hitting the 34-year-old victim in the crosswalk at East 14th Street and Union Square East just before 1 a.m.
The victim – identified as Adrian Blanc, 34, of Brooklyn – was found lying on the roadway with trauma about the head and body.
Blanc was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, where was later pronounced dead.
Late Wednesday, police sources said the car involved has been found.
The Jeep is actually a Zipcars vehicle, and detectives have been dusting it for fingerprints. What police still have not found is the driver.
Meanwhile, the victim's brother spoke out about his loss.
"He had his whole future, his whole life ahead of him -- and I would hate for anybody to have to go through this," said the victim's brother, Agner Blanc.
Agner Blanc said his older brother Adrian was living a full and happy life when it was suddenly stripped away.
The surveillance video shows the driver of the Jeep Renegade making a left turn onto Union Square East from 14th Street. Adrian Blanc was headed home from his job as an executive chef at the time.
"He was the oldest brother, and like I said, he was the captain of the ship. He was the backbone. He was the glue, and it's going to be a really, really rough time for us," Adrian Blanc said.
Agner Blanc said his brother was engaged to be married and hoped to have a family of his own.
"He wanted kids. He loved my kid so much," Agner Blanc said. "I was actually with him on Sunday, and he was playing with my son. And it's just -- I'm at a loss for words. I'm going to miss him."
With that dream cut short, Blanc's family now hopes someone will help them find justice.
Adrian Blanc has a lot of extended family in Venezuela that is also devastated by the news. His fiancée is also there.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website
or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
