Winnipeg hit and run victim Chris Nero 'loved everybody,' says mom
Death of 22-year-old is 2nd fatal crash on Inkster Boulevard in less than 5 months
Family members and friends of Chris Nero, a 22-year-old man who died following a hit and run at a Winnipeg intersection over the weekend, gathered on Monday night to mourn his death.
Nero was found unconscious near Winnipeg's Inkster Boulevard and Bunting Street at around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. He was rushed to hospital in critical condition, but he later died.
"He was amazing, he loved everybody," Nero's mother, Robyn Werner, told CBC News following a vigil at the crash site on Monday evening.
Werner said Nero had finished school and was working with his uncle doing construction work.
He was also working a part-time job at a dog grooming business "and just trying to, you know, figure out how to get ahead in life," she said.
'It's hard to believe'
Justin Frost said he was stunned to hear what happened to his friend Chris.
"I was in Grand Beach and another friend called me and told me about what happened. I pretty much dropped everything and came to the city."
Frost said Nero had been working for Chateau Roofing & Siding. He said the 22-year-old "was a character" and was always trying to make people laugh.
"He made the best out of a bad situation. He always saw the light in everyone."
Frost has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help Nero's mom cover funeral expenses.
2nd Inkster death in 5 months
Werner said on Saturday night, her son was walking home after hanging out with friends when he was struck.
"Someone hit him and left him. That's the worst part for me," she said.
"Accidents happen. I can forgive someone for that. But you don't leave anybody's child on the side of the road."
Winnipeg police still don't have a suspect or description of the vehicle, but investigators are looking for a vehicle with a damaged windshield.
Nero's death is the second to have happened on Inkster Boulevard in the past five months in which a driver struck a pedestrian then fled the scene.
Cody Joss, 21, also died of a hit and run on Inkster Boulevard. Police believe he was struck by a dark-coloured truck while he was crossing the road near McGregor Street on Dec. 20.
The driver still hasn't been found in that case.
Joss's mother told CBC News on Monday that she plans to reach out to Nero's family soon to offer her condolences.
Clarence Cremer, who drives the stretch of Inkster Boulevard where the hit and run took place 10 times a day for work, said it was only a matter of time before another serious accident happened in the area.
"There are people who tend to drive carelessly. They don't pay attention to the rules of the road, or they don't know them, and they will do silly things," he said.
Anyone with information about Saturday's hit and run is asked to contact investigators at (204) 986-6271 or Crime Stoppers at (204) 786-TIPS (8477).