Neighbors Respond to Hit and Run

Tragedy struck May 23 on the Key Peninsula when a longtime neighbor, Gary Moody, was struck and killed by a reckless, hit-and-run driver and two others were injured in a second collision. These events took place on Wright-Bliss Road, directly in front of my home, while my family and I were working in the yard, and what unfolded was nearly surreal.

The driver fled on foot but was later apprehended and charged with vehicular homicide, two counts of hit-and-run and third-degree assault.

What is most newsworthy is the triumph of good over evil, when our first responders showed up like knights in shining armor, from the first volunteer firefighters on the scene, followed by numerous paramedics, firefighters and a department chaplain. Then, what seemed like an entire battalion of Pierce County sheriff's deputies descended on the neighborhood, complete with canine units intent on locating the driver.

The army of neighbors who intervened to assist in traffic control, debris cleanup and, in particular, to administer CPR in an attempt to save Mr. Moody's life, was heroic.

Though words can't describe such a tragic loss of life, I'm both grateful for and proud of the people who wear a badge and serve us in such terrible events and to be a part of a community that knows how to rally when called upon.

Kurt Roddy

Rocky Creek Farm