BELLEVILLE, Ill. — For years, North Belt West Liquor store has been a fixture in Belleville.
Employees and customers have grown to know each other during that time.
"He was a pretty decent guy and always friendly. He always came in and spoke to everybody," said Bernard Taylor, a store employee.
However, now Taylor and his co-workers are hurting after hearing what happened to one of their regular customers.
"He would always mind his own business and he was always by himself. We would see him walking up and down the street a lot," Taylor said.
Police say just before 10 p.m. Monday they went to the 3600 block of North Belt West and found the man, whose name hasn't been released, on the side of the road with severe injuries.
They say a driver hit him and left the scene. The victim later died at a St. Louis area hospital.
Workers at North Belt West Liquor believe the man was in his late 40's or early 50's.
"When I heard it was just shocking," Taylor said.
He told 5 On Your Side just hours before the man died he was at their store.
"I can't believe it. I really hate that happened to him. Really sad. I feel bad for his family," he said.
A business owner shared surveillance video with police and 5 On Your Side. Witnesses told detectives it shows someone in a white, four-door car hit the man.
Swansea police officers spotted the suspect's vehicle a few blocks away in the 1600 block of North Belt West. Belleville officers say when they arrested the driver, the person was intoxicated.
"It's heartbreaking to see somebody get hit like that," said neighbor James Pearson, who often rides his bike in the neighborhood.
He said he wishes drivers, who speed down the popular street that near businesses and homes, would slow down.
"Pedestrians got to watch it when they cross this street. When my wife and I cross it, it seems like drivers speed up on you. The speed limit is 40 and sometimes they'll do more than 40 down this strip," Pearson said.
Police are still investigating the crash.
"That guy must have been coming back again to our store when that happened to him," Taylor said.
Police will release the man's name after they contact his family.