WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Thirteen years after Sandra Lee Loepp was killed in a hit-and-run crash, her family is continuing to search for answers while keeping her memory alive.
Loepp, a mother of five, was killed on December 16, 2012 while walking home near 28 Mile and Van Dyke roads. Police say she left the former Santino’s Bar just after 1 a.m. and was walking northbound on Van Dyke.
According to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, she was dragged for almost a mile before the driver removed her from under the vehicle and fled the scene.
“There’s so many unanswered questions -- like why did it happen? How did it happen? Why did they leave her?” said Kristy Bottle, Loepp’s sister, reflecting on the questions that have haunted the family for over a decade.
Chandler Decker, who was 15 years old when his mother was killed, says living without her has felt like a piece of himself is missing.
“I didn’t have, you know, a mom to go talk to if something was bothering me,” Decker says. “I have a beautiful, loving girlfriend now who I’m sure my mom would love because she’s just like her. She wishes she could have met her.”
Family members remember Loepp as a devoted mother who always put her children first.
“You look at the pictures, and you see the Halloween costumes she made for them, the parties she threw for them. Everything was just about giving them a good childhood, a good life,” said Bottle.
“She loved everybody. She wanted everybody to be happy. She did everything she could to try and make everybody happy,” said Loepp’s sister, Kelly Smalley.
Investigators believe the vehicle involved was a large truck or commercial vehicle, which likely had damage to the front end and passenger side after the crash. Crime Stoppers is offering a $6,500 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The family hopes that continuing to share Loepp’s story might encourage witnesses to come forward.
“Maybe they saw her walking, maybe they saw a vehicle in the area, maybe someone came home with a damaged car the next day,” Bottle said.
“I think it’s time that justice is served and she deserves it,” Decker said.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.