Melonba hit-and-run: Young woman make emotional appeal to driver who left her grandfather for dead to come forward
Shocking footage has emerged of an elderly tourist’s final moments before he was left for dead in an alleged hit-and-run, while his heartbroken granddaughter begged the driver to hand himself in.
Police are still searching for the driver of a blue sedan who struck Nepalese national Damodor Shrestha, 79, on Abell Road in Melonba, near Mount Druitt in Sydney’s west, around 11.20pm on Sunday.
The grandfather was captured on camera shortly before saying goodbye to his family members while out for a run, when he was reportedly hit from behind and went unnoticed by several passing cars.
Two motorists later found him lying on the road and alerted the emergency services, who rushed to the scene, but he could not be saved.
His distraught family made an emotional appeal on Tuesday.
“Please…my grandma can hardly sleep, she can hardly eat, she is upset,” granddaughter Surabhi Shrestha said Nine news.
Ms Shrestha only discovered what had happened when she went looking for her grandfather and saw police gathered around his body.
The distraught granddaughter of Damodor Shrestha (pictured left) made an emotional appeal to the alleged driver to turn himself in
The grandfather (pictured in the middle) was reportedly hit from behind by a blue sedan while he was walking
‘When I described him and showed them [police] “I think when they saw his picture they knew right away it was him,” she said.
‘My grandmother was next to me, she doesn’t understand English, so she asked me what was going on’.
Mrs. Shrestha had to break the heartbreaking news to her grandmother.
“I think those were the hardest words of my life. I don’t know how I got the words to her.”
The elderly couple from Nepal stayed at Mrs. Shrestha’s home.
Mr. Shrestha attended a dinner celebrating his daughter’s 25th wedding anniversary just hours before she passed away.
Terrifying surveillance footage captured the last time he was seen alive, when he went for a late night walk.
Police have released images of the sedan (pictured) that is believed to have collided with Mr Shrestha and they believe the vehicle is a blue Toyota Camry sedan
Police on Tuesday collected footage from security cameras installed at neighboring properties.
Police have released images of the sedan believed to have collided with Mr Shrestha, which they believe is a blue Toyota Camry sedan.
A New South Wales Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.