Family seeks justice for Lemoore father of 3 killed in Kern County hit and run

LEMOORE, Calif. (KFSN) -- In the early hours of June 23, 37-year-old Pedro Rodriguez Jr. was driving on State Route 43, north of Garces Highway in Kern County.

The California Highway Patrol says the driver of a Toyota Tacoma ran a stop sign and into the path of Rodriguez's Toyota Camry.

Rodriguez died at the scene, but officers say the other driver was able to run away.

"Just knowing that this man was able to get up and walk away, while my cousin lay there, we don't know if he was alive. We don't know if he was struggling. We don't know," Pedro's cousin Amy Gomez says.

Close relatives describe Rodriguez Jr. as a family man who leaves behind three children -- the youngest being 12 years old.

"He was a great dad. He was a good provider." Gomez says. "He was the one who would lecture us if we were doing something wrong. He was the one who was praising us if we did something right."

Nearly a month after Rodriguez's death, the family says it's the unknown that keeps them searching for answers.

"If it was an honest mistake, it was an honest mistake," Gomez says. "Whether you were drinking, whether it was an accident, whether it was, you know, you just being negligent, we don't know, but we deserve those answers."

The family says they are frustrated with the lack of information they have received following the crash.

"The last call we got was that the DNA was on the truck, but other than that, investigators haven't really updated us. They haven't really given us any information regarding the registered owner," Gomez says

The family is now left questioning what life looks like in this season of loss.

"Without any answers, it's going to be very hard," Gomez says.

The family will lay Pedro Rodriguez Jr. to rest on Friday.

As the investigation continues, it has not been determined whether drugs or alcohol were factors in this crash.

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