'She took my brother from me,' says sister of man killed in hit-and-run spree

"His name is Roland Derrel White Jr.," said Le'Naya White, the victim's sister. "He was a good man. He was a family man."

John Paul Image
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
"She took my brother from me," says sister of hit-and-run victim
A family is grieving after a man was killed in a hit-and-run crash in North Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A family is grieving after a man was killed in a hit-and-run crash in North Philadelphia.

Police believe the driver who fatally struck 22-year-old Roland White also injured two other people in separate hit-and-runs just a short time before.

"His name is Roland Derrel White Jr.," said Le'Naya White, the victim's sister. "He was a good man. He was a family man."

White was killed two days after gathering with his family for Christmas.

Roland White

He was walking across Broad Street near Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia around 8:30 p.m. Monday when police say a driver fleeing several other hit-and-runs slammed into him.

"My brother is gone and my family is hurting," said White.

The driver of the gray Mustang, who police believe was a woman, continued for several more blocks after hitting Roland White before ditching the car near Indiana Avenue and running off.

The driver left behind a trail of destruction that started on Delaware Avenue near the Rivers Casino. That's where the driver hit a man on a scooter and three other cars before fleeing.

Later, a man on a bicycle was hit by the driver near the intersection of Spring Garden and Broad Street.

But what happened near Lehigh Avenue was fatal.

"She hit my brother and she just left him there. Didn't even get to say goodbye," said Le'Naya White through tears.

Roland White is the 32nd person killed in a hit-and-run crash in 2022 across Philadelphia. According to his family, he was starting a new job at the airport on Wednesday and was saving up money to move out of the city.

"His only goal was to get out of Philly because it's not safe here," Le'Naya White said.

The family is begging witnesses to come forward and help find the person who killed White.

"I don't have answers. We don't have answers," said Wanda Johnson, the victim's grandmother. "It's wrong. He didn't deserve this. He did not deserve this. He's a good child."

The family is planning a vigil to honor White at the scene of the crash at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Police have surveillance video of the incident and are actively searching for the driver.