ST. LOUIS — Forty-six year old Jerome McDaniels meant a lot to his family.
"He was an outgoing person. He liked to laugh and really liked helping people when he could. After our mom passed, I was more like his mother figure," said Latasha Buchanan, McDaniels' sister.
"I knew him for more than 10 years," said Crystal Washington, McDaniels' longtime friend. "We were best friends before we dated and then remained friends even after our relationship ended. He just brought joy to everybody. I never saw him not smiling."
Now, they can't believe Jerome's smile is suddenly gone.
Latasha Buchanan said on Oct. 14 her brother was helping a neighbor work on his house.
Around 2 a.m. he left for his north city home.
"He was probably like a couple blocks from his house," said his sister.
Sadly, McDaniels never made it.
Witnesses told police a driver hit the man at the intersection of Prairie and Lee avenues in north St. Louis.
"I can't really explain my emotions right now because it hurts," added Buchanan.
Tears streamed down Latasha's Buchanan's face when she thought about her brother dying in the street.
"Where's the compassion? Only if you just stopped to check on a person. You probably could have saved their life," added a sobbing Buchanan.
What's more, witnesses told police a second person, an Uber driver, then struck McDaniels.
"The second person didn't know what they hit, but they got out and realized that it was a body and they called it in. I'm glad she stopped because if she didn't, there's not telling how many more people would have run him over," added the man's sister.
It's been more than a week and police still don't know if the first driver who hit McDaniels was a man, a woman or a teenager, and they still don't have a good description of the car.
What is certain: McDaniels' family wants answers and some resolve.
"I pray that the driver comes forward. We want to know if this was an accident or if it was intentional," Washington said.
"I want justice for my brother because they left him out in the street like an animal," Buchanan said.
Police ask anyone with information to call the Metropolitan St. Louis Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-371-8477(TIPS).
On Saturday, McDaniels' family and friends will gather at the intersection where he died to honor him during a balloon release.