Family, police plead for witnesses in Kennewick fatal hit and run to come forward

Police and relatives pleaded with the community Friday for anyone who may have seen a fatal Kennewick hit -and -run collision last month to come forward.

Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information in the death of Michael P. Robinson, 58, who was killed Feb. 22 on Columbia Center Boulevard.

Also, HAPO Community Credit Union is paying for ads in the Tri-City Herald this weekend and on its huge reader board at Clearwater Avenue and Columbia Center Boulevard — not far from where Robinson was killed.

The hope is that it will help find who hit Robinson and then drove off.

He was walking to church in Kennewick to get some exercise after a recent heart attack, family members said.

“That person just left him in the road. I can tell you, Mike Robinson, he would never leave anybody in the road to die,” said his sister -in -law Diane Robinson. “He wouldn’t leave a dog in the road to die.”

He was a generous man who was a member of the Knights of Columbus and started a Christmas dinner for kids battling cancer, she said.

Robinson was crossing the street between Fourth and Fifth avenues at 6:15 p.m. when he was struck. Traffic cameras captured some video but not the actual impact.

Police say there could be 20 to 25 witnesses who were in the area at the time.

“We know there are numerous vehicles that passed by that area,” said Kennewick Police Officer Lee Cooper at a news conference Friday. “So we know there are several more people that saw all or part of this.”

Police released pictures shortly after the crash of a white truck they were looking for. A truck was eventually found, but Cooper said it was not the one that hit Robinson.

Another white truck also was seized by police. Evidence from the pickup was sent to the state crime lab, and the truck was returned to its owner.

Robinson’s injuries indicate he was hit by a large vehicle, but there’s no other description, Cooper said.

Officers are working to enhance video from traffic cameras to try to get a better description of vehicles in the area at the time.

Robinson’s brother, Patrick, also spoke at the news conference, asking the community to come forward with any information that could help solve the case.

“He deserved a better fate than what he got,” Patrick said. “I just hope that someone out there saw something and can remember something.”

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call 509-586-TIPS or 800-222-TIPS. Tips also can be submitted online or texted to “TIP411 plus your message” or to CRIMES (274637).

It was the second time a pedestrian was struck and killed by a car in Kennewick in the past year.

Nina Howard, 52, of Kennewick, was killed in April when she was hit crossing West 27th Avenue near Ely Street.

The driver, Michael S. Johnson, 47, pleaded guilty this week to vehicular homicide, but has yet to be sentenced.

Pasco police also have yet to identify a driver in the fatal hit-and-run of a 65-year-old woman in November 2013.

A red, four-door 2003 Ford Expedition is what police suspect hit Juana Figueroa Figueroa as she crossed the street at the intersection of 20th Avenue and Lewis Street.

This story was originally published March 13, 2015 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Family, police plead for witnesses in Kennewick fatal hit and run to come forward."