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Phoenix hit-and-run leaves woman, dog dead
A family is pleading for answers after Genieve Vega and her dog were struck and killed by a minivan in central Phoenix. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
PHOENIX - A Phoenix family is pleading for answers after a senseless hit-and-run crash took the life of a young woman and her dog.
What we know:
Phoenix police are asking the public to be on the lookout for a vehicle that sped away from the scene. Genieve Vega was hit and killed by a minivan last month while she was out walking her dog in central Phoenix.
Genieve Vega and her dog, Baxter (Courtesy: Joseph Vega)
Vega's brother sat down for an interview, begging whoever was behind the wheel to come forward.
The backstory:
The incident happened right around 7 p.m. on Oct. 24. Investigators say Genieve was crossing the street in the area of 8th Street and Missouri Avenue when she and her dog, Baxter, were hit by a light-colored, champagne or goldish-tan Toyota Sienna minivan. The driver never stopped to help, and Genieve later died from her injuries at the hospital.
Police shared an image depicting the type of vehicle. (Phoenix Police Department)
What they're saying:
Genieve's brother says he received the devastating call while working an overnight shift. He says his sister was vibrant and well loved by family and friends.
"It's been like complete shock, just out of nowhere, just paralyzing. Feeling like you got to run around and do a million different things, but just not having the strength to just take a step . . . dealing with the fact that they're not there," said Joseph Vega, the victim’s brother. "I would say it would be best for y'all to just come clean and just make sure that errors like this don't happen again, because this kind of tragedy can happen to anybody."
What you can do:
Anyone who saw that gold- or champagne-colored Toyota Sienna around 8th Street and Missouri on the evening of Oct. 24, or who knows who was driving it, is urged to call police right away.
Tips can be submitted anonymously to Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or by visiting silentwitness.org. Tipsters can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a $2,000 cash reward.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Genieve's family to help cover unexpected expenses.
Map of where the fatal crash occurred:
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Joseph Vega, the victim’s brother; Phoenix Police; and Silent Witness.