‘We need somebody to come forward’; reward for information about deadly Ballard hit-and-run
Mar 25, 2025, 6:16 AM
Richard John 'Ole' Ward, 39, who was killed in a deadly Ballard hit-and-run. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
An Arlington family is desperate for answers after their son was hit and killed by a driver in Ballard last month.
39-year-old Richard John “Ole” Ward was hit in a crosswalk at the intersection of 15th Avenue NW and NW Market Street, his mother Sue Ward said.
It happened on February 1 around 1:20 a.m.
“The first thing I wake up every morning is him on the ground pleading for help,” Sue said.
Crime Stoppers is now offering a $5,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest and charge of the person responsible.
Sue said the driver was going so fast that her son flew 75 feet.
Her son’s final moments continue to play over and over in her head.
“He was moaning,” she said. “He was asking, ‘Help me. Help Me.’”
It’s been about seven weeks since Ole’s death, and no one has been arrested.
Sue and her husband John have been putting up posters in Ballard hoping people with information come forward.
“It can be a friend, an enemy, a coworker, a repair shop worker, a bartender,” she said. “We need somebody to come forward.”
Sue and John’s dining room in Arlington has become “Ole Central.” The table is surrounded by posters filled with photos of Ole in different phases of his life.
“He came out running,” Sue said. “He just loved the outdoors.”
Sue showed us photos of Ole as a baby (“He was very independent”) and as a teenager surrounded by friends (“They all said how they could all go to Ole with problems they had”).
His family hopes that wherever he is now, he’s watching over his late nephew Alex, who also previously passed too soon.
“It grossly affected my son,” Sue said.
KIRO 7 asked Sue what her message to Ole would be now.
“We love you. We’ve always loved you,” she said. “We’ve always wanted the best for you, and we’ve always wanted you to be happy.”
If you know anything about who was driving the vehicle, contact police or Crime Stoppers. You can submit anonymous tips here.
It’s not just justice that Sue is after. She also plans to fight for stricter penalties for hit-and-run drivers.
