Brother Pleads for Driver to 'Come Clean' After Phoenix Hit-and-run

A Phoenix family is searching for answers after a hit-and-run driver struck and killed a young woman and her dog late last month.

Genieve Vega was walking her dog, Baxter, in central Phoenix when she was fatally struck by a vehicle that fled the scene before help could arrive.

The incident occurred around 7 p.m. on October 24 near the intersection of 8th Street and Missouri Avenue. Investigators with the Phoenix Police Department describe the suspect vehicle as a light-colored Toyota Sienna minivan, potentially champagne or goldish-tan in color. Despite the severity of the collision, the driver failed to stop or render aid, leaving the victim to succumb to her injuries later at a hospital, FOX 10 Phoenix reported.

For the victim’s brother, Joseph Vega, the weeks since the crash have been defined by a profound, paralyzing grief. He received the news of his sister’s death while working an overnight shift, a moment that fundamentally altered his life and the lives of everyone who knew her. He describes his sister as a vibrant person who was deeply loved by those around her.

Phoenix police search for hit-and-run driver who killed woman and dog — 12 News

“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,” Joseph Vega told FOX 10 Phoenix.

Joseph Vega has issued a direct, emotional plea to the individual responsible, urging them to take responsibility for their actions. “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,” he said.

Phoenix police are actively seeking the public’s assistance in locating the driver and the specific Toyota Sienna involved in the collision. Authorities have released images of the vehicle type to help residents identify it. The department is using the Silent Witness program to encourage community members to provide information regarding the driver or the vehicle’s location.

Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 480-WITNESS or by visiting silentwitness.org. Tipsters who provide information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000. A GoFundMe page has been established to assist the Vega family with expenses resulting from the loss.

As the investigation continues, the focus remains on the intersection of 8th Street and Missouri Avenue, where local residents continue to travel. For the family, the wait for justice is measured in every passing day without a resolution.