A man was killed as he was walking to the store on the evening of Christmas Eve after a the driver of an SUV careened onto the sidewalk near the corner of 15th and C Street NE, pinning the man under the vehicle.
Police identified the man as 66-year-old Ronnie Clark. Clark lived only a few blocks away from where he was killed. Friends said he was a former US Marine who had lived in Hill East for more than twenty years.
A witness said the vehicle came from the direction of RFK, choosing to veer right down C Street at the triangle park where C Street splits into North Carolina Avenue NE. The driver went up on the southern sidewalk, where Clark was walking westward along the retaining wall.
The driver drove over Clark, who was under the SUV when it finally stopped moving.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said Clark was pronounced dead on the scene.
The driver of the vehicle fled on foot. Police have not issued a lookout.
However, neighbors said that officers searching near the scene asked if anyone had seen a Black man in a Santa hat traveling along adjacent streets or alleys.
Police are expected to issue a press release in the coming days. This story will be updated as further information is received.
Anyone who has knowledge of this incident should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099. Text anonymous photos, videos or tips to the Department’s Text Tip Line at 50411.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) currently offers a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for a violent crime committed in the District of Columbia.
