Cancer-stricken woman’s husband killed by hit-and-run driver hours after grueling stem cell surgery
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A 35-year-old man was struck and killed by an SUV as he was riding his bicycle across a highway in Denver, Colorado, last month.
Logan Rocklin died instantly after being struck by the vehicle while bicycling through a traffic intersection at the intersection of West 38th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard on December 9.
Rocklin had spent the entire day with his wife, Hilary van Noort, 30, who is battling leukemia and had undergone transplant surgery just hours before the tragic accident. The couple had been married for just 11 months.
Nearly a month later, the family is hoping someone will come forward to identify the suspect responsible for the deadly hit-and-run.
Despite the release of images of two ‘vehicles of interest’ by Denver police, no suspects have yet been apprehended.
A vigil was held on Friday night attended by around 60 people, including friends, family and strangers. It was organized by Rocklin’s brother-in-law, Eric Elliott, who has taken the loss particularly seriously.
Logan Rocklin, 35, right, died in a Denver hit-and-run in December after spending the day caring for his wife Hilary van Noort, 30, left, who is battling leukemia.
Denver police have released images of a vehicle of interest.
A ghost bike currently stands in honor of Rocklin. It consists of handwritten messages of love.
Van Noort posted a heartbreaking message on Facebook detailing her husband’s accident.
I have been completely devastated. The grief is suffocating. My best friend, my soulmate, my new husband, was murdered and taken from me,” van Noort wrote.
“He spent the whole day by my side, holding my hand and judiciously making sure that the doctors administered my transplant correctly. He left early in the evening, after we both said “I love you, see you tomorrow,” she explained.
“She went home, took some cute kitty pictures of me, answered some emails, and then did the Logan thing: she decided to take her bike out on a dry, mild night for a quick errand. He did everything right: he wore his helmet, had his bike lights on, and used the sidewalks for safety at night. It wasn’t enough, someone decided that being in a hurry was more important than being safe, they hit him at the crosswalk and killed him on the spot. The driver fled the scene.
“Please keep your loved ones close and next time you’re on the road, consider slowing down a little more this time.”
Rocklin’s brother-in-law, Elliott, has been standing at the intersection for the past 22 days holding a sign calling for justice for Rocklin and seeking witnesses.
On Friday, the family held a vigil to remember Rocklin, led by his brother-in-law Elliott, who has been standing at the intersection for the past 22 days, holding a sign calling for justice and looking for witnesses.
“The outpouring of support from the community has been quite overwhelming,” an excited Elliot said. KDVR.
It has been very hard. I regained my faith in humanity. People pass by with hot chocolate. People will wave and honk, complete strangers will stop and share their stories of loss,” he said.
Denver police have an image of a car that they have described as a “vehicle of interest”, however the image is a bit blurry.
At a vigil on Friday night, supporters came up and hugged Elliott.
A memorial vigil for Rocklin was held Friday night.
Rocklin’s family renews their efforts to find the person responsible
The ghost bike is laced with flowers, all entwined inside the wheels, along with a picture of Rocklin.
The Rocklin tribute is very noticeable to passing traffic.
A ghost bike currently stands in honor of Rocklin. It consists of handwritten messages of love and flowers, all entwined on wheels, along with a photo of the man himself.
A GoFundMe A page has been set up for Rocklin’s wife, van Noort, who is battling acute myeloid leukemia and had undergone stem cell transplant surgery on the day of the accident. She has surpassed her goal and raised over $88,000.
A reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.
“Come in and do the right thing,” Elliot said. ‘Please face the consequences of your actions and let your own healing begin. If it was your family or one of your brothers or sisters, you would want the same thing.
The couple had only been married 11 months when the tragic accident occurred
I have been completely devastated. The grief is suffocating. My best friend, my soulmate, my new husband, was murdered and taken from me,” van Noort wrote of Rocklin, pictured above.