More than a week since their mother was hit and killed on a Lakeland Street, a family is asking the driver to come forward.
- Janice Joy, 74, died Oct. 7 after being by struck by a vehicle
- The hit-and-run occurred around 6:30 a.m.
- The suspect is believed to have been a dark colored F-150
Janice Joy, 74, was struck and killed while walking along Duff Road on October 6 at 6:30 a.m.
The driver fled the scene.
"It’s just sad that someone had to hit her and then take off and leave her to die alongside the road,” Joy’s daughter, Ronda Thompson, said. “She was a very proud woman. Very proud of herself, very proud of her family. And for her to die this way is extremely sad for all of us.”
Thompson said her mother and stepfather moved to Lakeland more than 20 years ago from the Northeast.
"She loved to laugh. She would look at you and she would say, ‘I love Florida and you know what? ‘You don’t have to shovel sunshine in Lakeland,’” Thompson said.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a dark colored 2004-2008 Ford F-150 that is missing a cover to the passenger side mirror and that should have some kind of front or side panel damage.
Thompson said she just wants the driver to do the right thing.
"Please come forward,” Thompson said. “Please come forward so our family can have some closure to his whole incident. My mom would have probably given you a hug and say, ‘It’s okay, I understand.’”
If anyone sees or knows about a truck similar to this description, they are asked to call the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at (863) 298-6200.
Anyone with information who wants to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward can call 1-800-226-TIPS or log onto www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com. iPhone and Droid users can download a free tip submit app to anonymously report crime. You can make an anonymous tip to Heartland Crime Stoppers by going to www.P3tips.com and download the free “P3tips” app to your smartphone.
Heartland Crime Stoppers is offering up to $3,000 for tips which result in an arrest.