Deep Ellum bar manager killed in hit-and-run crash

People who live and work in the Deep Ellum community of Dallas are mourning one of their own.

Ian Brooks was the general manager for Brick and Bones Bar and Restaurant. He had just gotten off work early Saturday morning and hopped on his motorcycle when someone struck him from behind and drove off. He died. The hit-and-run driver got away.

At this point, Dallas police don't have a suspect or vehicle description to pass along to the public.

Brooks had just talked to girlfriend minutes before he was killed by a hit-and-run driver. He told her he was hopping on his motorcycle and would see her soon. Sadly, he never arrived.

Outside Brick and Bones in Deep Ellum, there's a sign informing customers that the bar is temporarily closed. inside the dimly-lit venue, flowers and candles sit on a ledge. Friends and loved ones are mourning the sudden loss of the bar's general manager, 25-year-old Ian Brooks.

Brandy Alexander is Brooks' girlfriend. Early Saturday morning, Brooks was closing up the bar. His next stop was home in Richardson where Alexander was waiting. He never got home.

Dallas police say Brooks was riding his motorcycle northbound on 75 near Walnut Hill Lane when he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver.

“The driver hasn’t been identified, and It’s something that’s eating away at me because they took my baby. More than that, he deserves justice,” Alexander said. “This person should not be on the streets and should not be driving a car. They should not be allowed to do it again. I can’t feel any compassion for that person.”

Bar owner Cliff Edgar says Brooks was a kind, motivated man who quickly worked his way up from bar back to bartender to GM. He woke up Saturday to several text messages from Alexander saying she hadn't heard from her boyfriend.

“Disbelief,” Edgar said. “We were praying for the best.”

Despite her pain and sorrow, Alexander says she wanted to speak out in hopes that someone will come forward with information that could lead to an arrest.

“He always told me tragedy either builds or breaks a person,” she said. “So I refuse to let this break me. I want his legacy of love he shared with everybody to live on.”

Alexander says Brooks' injuries were so severe that he had to be identified by a tattoo on his body.

The bar where he worked with remain closed until Friday.

Anyone with information on the hit-and-run is urged to contact the Dallas Police Department.