Millbury Jogger Killed In Sutton Hit-And-Run

SUTTON (CBS) - The Sutton Police Department is making a plea for the driver who hit and killed a Millbury runner to come forward.

Running the Paris Marathon is how family and friends remember 51-year old Daniel de Lima.

"He used to say running saved his life. He went through a lot. And, he felt for the first time in his life he was actually complete and happy," said family friend Eduardo Perez.

De Lima was killed on his morning run by a hit and run driver. Police believe the driver was behind the wheel of a white SUV that now has front end damage to the passenger side.

A jogger's hat became evidence marker number one where he landed in the Tremblay's yard on Singletary Avenue in Sutton.

"As she was coming downstairs she noticed a man on the lawn, woke me up and I came down she called 911, I checked his pulse and he was gone," said Wilfred Tremblay.

The Tremblays called 911 shortly after 8 a.m., but police believe de Lima was hit earlier.

Surveillance video from a convenience store one mile away from the scene captured de Lima running by around 6:08 a.m.

Not long after Wilfred Tremblay's wife made an odd discovery.

"She came down to get the paper and noticed the sock behind my truck," said Tremblay.

The array of yellow evidence markers spans about 75 yards.

"The person who struck this individual knew that they struck them," said Sutton Police Chief Dennis Towle.

De Lima, who was a psychologist, leaves behind a wife and nine-year-old step-son. They moved to Millbury a little more than month ago.

"This past weekend he was just saying how he happy he was," said Perez

His happiness was cut short by a driver who hit him while he was doing something he loved.

"I wish the responsible person could have helped and stopped it's sad," said Perez.