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Tonya Papanikolas Reporting"It's just hard not having him nearby. Knowing you can't talk to him ever again is really hard."
The family of an elderly man who was killed in a hit and run accident says they hope a reward will produce some new information in the case. Robert Elbel was coming home from work at the beginning of December when he tried to cross a busy road and a passing car ran into him.
The case has been hard for deputies because there wasn't a lot of evidence at the scene, but everyone is still hopeful they can find the suspect.
Late last week, Meadow Gold announced a 10-thousand dollar reward for information that leads officers to the driver. It's been more than a month now since Elbel died and no one has come forward on their own. The family hopes the money will change that.
Eighty-year old Robert Elbel was an adventurous man who loved his job studying insects at the University of Utah.
Terry Vayo, Elbel's Son-in-Law: "Twenty-six species of bus had been names after him."
Elbel also spent six years in Thailand when he was younger, helping the government try to eradicate malaria. His family is now cherishing the legacy he leaves behind.
Ruth Elbel Vayo, Daughter: I miss him a lot."
Ruth Elbel remembers her father's smile and laugh. She says it's still hard for her to think of how he died.
Ruth Elbel Vayo: "The hardest part is that I didn't get to say goodbye, and that someone drove away and left him in the road."
Elbel was hit on December 1st crossing Highland Drive after getting off a bus. The person behind the wheel never stopped.
Ruth Elbel Vayo: "He helped so many people in his life. It just was unbelievable that his life ended that way. When someone should have helped him, they just drove away."
Almost a month ago, the county sheriff's office released surveillance tape of a truck they thought may have been the suspect's vehicle. The driver stopped and looked at damage to the front of his car. So far, they haven't been able to rule that out, but different video, though hard to see, has now led them to believe the suspect may be in one of the cars you can barely see.
Deputy Mike Schoenfeld, Salt lake County Sheriff's Office: "From this video I showed you here, we're looking for a small black car also."
Either way, the family hopes to have closure.
Ruth Elbel Vayo: "I really hope that someone comes forward with any information they might have."
Deputies are working to enhance that other video you saw to identify what kind of dark-colored vehicle they're looking at. They also noticed it didn't have its headlights on. A witness also said he thought the suspect's car was dark in color. But we want to emphasize again, deputies are still investigating the truck as well.
