Detroit mother of hit-and-run victim becomes advocate for other grieving families

Patricia Rutland’s son was hit and killed on Christmas Eve

DETROIT – Police are still investigating several fatal hit-and-run cases that have yet to be solved.

One Detroit mother knows the pain of losing a loved and is hoping that no one else has to experience something similar.

Patricia Rutland lost her son, Dion Emory, who was hit and killed by a driver on Christmas Eve near the intersection of Schoolcraft and Greenfield roads.

“We really miss him,” Rutland said. “It is terrible. It’s so sudden. You just look around and your loved one is gone.”

“It happens every day. Someone is either hit or killed by a car,” she added.

Detroit police are still looking for the drivers responsible for multiple fatal hit-and-run incidents across the city, including Emory’s case. On May 15, a 46-year-old was killed while riding a moped near Military and Lindsdale streets.

Another incident happened in August on Gratiot Avenue when a 43-year-old was hit head-on by a gold H2 Hummer while riding a bike. A day later, a 50-year-old was hit by an SUV on Fenkell Avenue.

“It’s so dangerous on Detroit streets for pedestrians, drivers. Every day we see someone run a red light,” Rutland said.

She’s hoping to now be an advocate for other victims and their families.

“Killing someone with a car is murder, just like a gun. Three-hundred people die or are injured a year and this needs to be taken just as serious as a shooting or anything else,” she said.

The Detroit Police Department is looking to the public for any tips that can help bring those families closure.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 800-Speak-Up.


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About the Author

Victor Williams joined Local 4 News in October of 2019 after working for WOIO in Cleveland, OH, WLOX News in Biloxi, MS, and WBBJ in Jackson, TN. Victor developed a love for journalism after realizing he was a great speaker and writer at an early age.

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