28-year-old walking on Christmas Eve killed in hit-and-run

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Police want to find the person who they say hit and killed a 28-year-old man and kept going.

The crash happened along Highway 155 in Henry County, not far from Highway 42.

Instead of celebrating Christmas, the victim's mother, Cynthia Persley, is left grieving.

Persley could barely talk when Channel 2's Tyisha Fernandes sat down with her Monday.

Persley told Fernandes that her son always took walks on that road. What she can't believe is that someone hit him and didn't stop to help him.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Gun store owner shoots, kills armed robber
• Singer George Michael dies at age of 53
• 17-year-old accused of stealing $40,000 worth of gift cards from Target

“I had just talked with him,” Persely said. “For someone to hit my son and just leave him, I didn't understand that.”

Persley spoke to her son Joseph Friday night.

When she called his cellphone the next morning, which was the morning of Christmas Eve, she was stunned, because a Henry County police officer answered his phone.

“And that point, I knew something was wrong,” Persely said.

Police told her that an unknown driver hit her son and killed him between 5 and 6 Saturday morning and left him on the side of the road.

He was walking along highway 155, close to where it intersects with highway 42 in McDonough.

Police found his body less than a mile from where he lives. His mother said he liked to take walks to clear his mind.

“It would be nothing for him to take a walk and come back, because people handle things in life differently,” Persely said.

The driver left the scene, and police are still trying to figure out who they are.

“I'm not sure if they're a resident here, or if they was just visiting for the holidays,” Persely said.

While police investigate her son's death. this mother is holding on tight to her faith. keeping her son's presents under the tree.

She prays that someone comes forward.

“Just to do the right thing. please, so that there will be peace and closure for my family,” Persely said.

Cox Media Group