Family pleads for driver who killed skateboarder in Fort Worth hit-and-run to come forward

Man dies after Fort Worth hit-and-run crash

Ryon Smith, 40, was riding his skateboard when a driver hit him and drove off. He died Wednesday after spending several days in the hospital.

FORT WORTH, Texas - The family of a man who died this week after a hit-and-run crash in Fort Worth is hoping the driver who struck him will come forward.

Video from a home surveillance camera captured the aftermath. Witnesses who heard the crash rushed out to help.

What we know:

Ryon Smith, 40, was riding his skateboard when a driver hit him and drove off. He died Wednesday after spending several days in the hospital.

The crash happened Sunday night on Wedgewood Drive in Southwest Fort Worth.

Video from a neighbor’s surveillance camera captured the aftermath.

Paramedics rushed to the scene of the hit-and-run. A neighbor can be heard trying to comfort a perfect stranger in the middle of the street, clinging to life.

While Fort Worth police have not confirmed the victim’s name, family members say it was 40-year-old Smith. 

Investigators say the person who hit Smith briefly stopped and then fled the scene.

The surveillance video did not capture the actual crash, but it has been shared with investigators. Police have not provided a description of what kind of vehicle they’re looking for.

Neighbor rushes to help

What they're saying:

Jerame Worthington is the man heard in the surveillance video trying to comfort Smith. He says he was jostled out of bed when he heard the crash in front of his home.

"We rolled him over, tried getting him to breathe," he recalled. "He opened his eyes for a little bit, then went back out. And that’s about the time the ambulance showed up."

Family pleads for help

Laurabeth Plumlee is Smith’s sister. She says doctors tried their best to save her brother.

"They did multiple surgeries on him, and he was pretty much crushed," she said.

Smith died from his injuries on Wednesday evening.

Plumlee has been searching for her own answers. She went to the scene of the crash on Thursday and embraced the kind neighbors who came to her brother’s aid.

Plumlee and her family, including Smith’s two teen daughters, are praying whoever is responsible will finally decide to come forward.

"It was probably an accident. I don’t want anybody to be ruined," she said. "We are a common sense, merciful family. We just want closure."

What you can do:

Anyone who witnessed the hit-and-run or has any information on the crash is urged to call the Fort Worth Police Department.