The victim of a hit and run on the Coquihalla Highway (Hwy 5) last August is being publicly identified to mark the one-year anniversary of his tragic death.
According to the BC Highway Patrol, it was 24-year-old Buddy Rhodes whose body was discovered off the side of the busy highway near Exit 286 in Merritt on Aug. 30, 2024.
It was determined by a collision reconstructionist that Rhodes was likely hit while standing or walking at the side of Hwy 5 by a southbound vehicle.
Evidence suggests that the collision could have happened up to six days before his body was finally discovered.
A year after the fact, the vehicle and driver involved in the fatal hit and run have still not been found, and the victim’s family is desperate for answers.
“It would bring some closure to our family to have some answers and know what actually happened or when it happened,” his sister Alix Legouffe said in a video released by the BCHP today. “All these unknowns is what makes it really hard to move forward.”
An emotional Legouffe explained that it’s been a difficult year for the family as they’ve navigated a lot of firsts, like birthdays and Christmas, without their loved one.
She said she’s getting married in a few weeks and is still trying to wrap her head around not having her brother there.
“It’s been tough, but we’re trying,” she added.
Legouffe urged the driver to come forward if they know they made a mistake or even found damage on their vehicle after the incident and realized what might have happened.
“We need some answers. We need to know what happened, not just what-ifs. It would mean the world to us if you could just please just let someone know and come forward,” she pleaded.
“It’s hard to put into words how grateful we would be to have some closure and be able to navigate the next steps. It’s extremely important that we find out what happened.”
BCHP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin added to that sentiment.
“We are open to hearing another side of this story, including from the driver who possibly did not know they hit Buddy,” he said through a media release. “We need to solve this mystery for Buddy’s family.”
Anyone who knows what happened to Rhodes, or anyone with information that could assist investigators in this case, is urged to contact the BCHP Merritt branch at 250-378-4262 and quote file 2024-4262.
