48-year-old Christopher White lived his life sticking up for those without power.
His good friend and journalist Mike Chalmers explains: "He hated to see the little guy get stepped on and it didn't matter where you came from or what your situation was, if you were being treated unfairly, he was going to fight for you."
Chris White was an attorney. He was the executive director of the nonprofit Community Legal Aid Society.
His brother, George, says his passion was always for helping.
White and his church spearheaded the effort to create Shipley Lofts, an about-to-be opened, nonprofit home for low income artists.
Yesterday, White was on the sidewalk, just steps from the door, when a Mercedes jumped the curb and killed him.
The driver bolted and witness Frank Fitzciles tried to catch him, but the suspect got away.
"There was a man laying on the ground and they were yelling, 'he got hit,' my first reaction was let's go get him," Fitzciles said.
In the minutes prior to White's death, the Mercedes was involved in a series of bizarre collisions.
The incident started at 14th and Washington Streets when a 1992 black Mercedes was involved in a hit and run accident with a green Kia Sorrento.
The Mercedes continued on and then struck another black Mercedes driven by an off duty Wilmington Police officer at 13th and Orange Streets.
The off duty officer attempted to follow the striking vehicle, but lost sight of it in the area of 12th and Bassett Streets.
Very shortly thereafter, the suspect vehicle ran a red light at the intersection of 8th and Shipley Streets and collided with a 2002 Chrysler 300.
The Mercedes continued onto the western sidewalk in the 700 block of Shipley Street, striking a parking meter and White.
The suspect vehicle finally came to rest approximately 30 feet north of W. 7th Street on Shipley.
White was transported to the Christiana Hospital where investigators say he was later pronounced dead.
No other injuries were reported in the 3 previous hit and run accidents.
Police say they have identified a suspect.
"We believe we will have the individual responsible for the crime in custody very shortly," Master Sergeant Steven Barnes of the Wilmington Police said.
