Ryan Jimmo 'stood out of the crowd,' friends say after fatal hit-and-run
Nola Keeler | CBC News | Posted: June 27, 2016 9:43 PM | Last Updated: June 27, 2016
Ex-UFC fighter liked to read books on physics and play chess
Ex-UFC fighter Ryan Jimmo is being remembered Monday as an 'absolute inspiration' who was proud to be a 'big, giant nerd.'
"I'll miss his weirdness, man. I woke up in the middle of the night once and he was playing chess by himself," laughed Allen Hope, who roomed with Jimmo in Edmonton four years ago. "Like he's just weird like that."
Hope remembers his friend doing his signature robot dance inside and outside the fighting ring.
"Ryan would rather be remembered as a guy that could do the robot dance better than he could fight, because he was a guy who loved doing the robot dance," Hope said.
"We'd go to Walmart and buy groceries and he'd start doing the robot.
"He's a big, giant nerd, is what he is. And he doesn't drink. He's all about health and being healthy."
Family closeness
Hope said Jimmo was especially close to his mother, Linda Jimmo.
"He was super, super, super close with his mother. They would Skype three or four times a day," he remembers.
That love for his family was something Luke Harris noticed too.
Harris knew Jimmo for 10 years and once trained with him.
"He's a good friend and this is a huge, huge shocking tragedy," Harris said.
"He was a very special person. He was someone you couldn't ignore, He really stood out of the crowd."
Harris said Jimmo will be remembered by his many students, as well as the rest of the mixed martial arts community.
"He had a huge impact on a lot of people's lives. He was definitely an absolute inspiration to young fighters and a great role model as well."
Police looking for witnesses
Edmonton police are still looking for witnesses to the hit-and-run that killed Jimmo at around 2:15 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the H2O Lounge, on Whyte Avenue and 101st Street.
Police said Jimmo had approached a pick-up truck on foot. When he began to walk away, police say the truck accelerated and struck him before leaving the scene.
Police have released images of the vehicle suspected of being involved in Jimmo's death.
The dark-coloured pickup, occupied by at least two men, fled east on Whyte Avenue in the westbound lane, nearly hitting a red car, police said.
The truck was last seen near Whyte Avenue and 99th Street.
Police said it's not known if the parties knew each other.
The pick-up is described as an older-model, single-cab truck, modified with a lift kit, oversized tires and clear tail lights.
Police would also like to speak with the driver of the red car that was nearly hit by the pick-up or anyone else who witnessed the incident.