Photos: Person of interest in Pierce County hit-and-run caught on camera
Jan 17, 2022, 5:49 AM | Updated: Jan 18, 2022, 6:13 am
UPDATE at 6:33 p.m. Monday — The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office has released images of who they’re calling a “person of interest” in the deadly hit and run over the weekend. The incident involved two 12-year-old girls; one was killed instantly and the other was injured.
Deputies say the person of interest stopped at a convenience store off Canyon Road in a stolen truck and took off shortly after. If you recognize that person, you’re asked to give police a call.
—Original story—
A devastated Pierce County father is pleading with a hit-and-run driver to come forward after his 12-year-old daughter was killed and her friend injured.
The collision happened at 10:30 a.m. Saturday on 104th Street East in Midland, east of Tacoma. It was just several doors down from where the victim lived, occurring on a road that has very little shoulder.
The two girls were walking while facing traffic, which is the proper way.
The dad of one of the girls believes whoever hit them veered off the road into their path.
“I’m in complete shock,” John Goldade said. “I’m still processing.”
Goldade is processing the unthinkable, the sudden death of his 12-year-old daughter Immaculee.
“This truck didn’t just accidentally swerve off the road,” Goldade said. “I’m not saying he did it on purpose, but it was all the way in the ditch. I mean, this was complete carelessness.”
Goldade said Immaculee had asked her grandmother for permission to go outside to play. That was what Immaculee and a sleepover friend were doing when the truck entered the scene.
“Our deputies arrived on scene and found two 12-year-old girls that were –,” said Sgt. Darren Moss Jr.
The sadness was almost too much for Sgt. Moss, who walked away from the camera. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spokesman needed a moment to collect himself.
“So officers arrived on scene and found two juvenile females,” Moss said. “One of them was deceased. The other one was rushed to the hospital right away. We checked the area for a vehicle.”
Investigators believe the vehicle, a large pickup truck, took off. They found an image of the truck on a neighbor’s surveillance video. They believe the truck was damaged from the collision.
“It’s a white, pickup truck, flatbed, single cab,” Moss said. “It looks like it has a huge black dumpster on the back.”
“This person’s got to be found,” Goldade said. “And this was a very large truck.”
Immaculee’s father had this message for the driver who left her and her friend to die:
“If you did this, turn yourself in,” Goldade pleaded. “You’ve got to bring peace to this family. You’ve got to bring peace to our hearts. You can turn yourself in.”
Immaculee was one of eight children.
As devout Catholics, the family is asking for prayers. Goldade said God forgives everyone, including a hit-and-run driver.
A GoFundMe was set up to help the Goldade family with funeral costs.
