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Girlfriend of man killed in 288 hit-and-run pleas for driver to come forward

Posted at 10:40 PM, Mar 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-28 23:25:55-04

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Matt Santiago was a mechanic, so back on March 11, when his girlfriend’s car was making a weird knocking noise on Route 288, he told her to pull over.

"I'll take a look," would be his last words.

"When I pulled him out of the road, he was still breathing, but he was unconscious," said Courtney Andrs Tuesday.

The couple was headed south-bound around 1:15 a.m, near the Courthouse Road exit, and her car trouble would shatter the lives of Andrs, her little girl Christina, and a countless number of family and friends.

Matt and Courtney

"It happened so fast," Andrs said.

Santiago was struck by a hit-and-run driver as he was trying to get back inside his girlfriend’s car.

"I looked up and saw a truck coming, and I screamed for him to get out of the way,” Andrs said. “He looked up but there was nowhere to go."

Santiago died on the scene.

More than two weeks has passed since the tragic accident, and the driver of the truck still hasn't been identified or come forward.

"I understand it was an accident,” said Andrs. “I want them to come forward so we can have some type of closure. His family deserves that."

Matt and Christina

A family that includes Santiago's six-year-old sweetheart. Courtney tells CBS 6 Matt and Christina had developed a bond, one that the little girl never shared with her biological dad.

"She hasn't had a biological dad since birth, so she spent a lot of time with him and he helped her do her homework and played games,” Andrs said. “She's heartbroken."

Virginia State Police continue to investigate the incident.

Courtney tells us the pick-up truck was an older model dark-colored two-door, with a trailer hitch.

Her family is offering a $1,000 reward.

If you have information about the crash or the pickup, call Virginia State Police at 804-553-3445.

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