Dozens gather for vigil to honor Brentwood father, husband killed in hit-and-run crash

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Dozens gathered in Brentwood Tuesday night to remember a beloved father and husband who was killed after a hit-and-run. Andres Eloy Khammach La Cruz was traveling northbound on Wicks Road Monday night on a motorcycle when he collided with a black Ford Explorer. The crash threw him from the motorcycle. He was taken to South Shore University Hospital where he was pronounced dead. La Cruz’s sister-in-law Zuleydi Salcedo says he leaves behind a wife and a 10-year-old son. "They just lost a father to his son. They just lost a husband, too. It's been really bad,” she said. Salcedo says he was a man who never hesitated to lend a helping hand. "He's a person that anything that you need, he will help you out,” she said. “He will bring a hand. He loved his son, his wife, he loved the community. He loved bikes." Others who knew him like Danni Gonzalez, of Brentwood, said couldn’t believe the news. "He was hardworking, responsible,” he said. “Having first heard the news, I was stunned, honestly, because he was so friendly, outgoing." Dominique Williams, of Brentwood, lives nearby and says this area is no stranger to dangerous accidents. "It is unfortunate. People are too busy speeding down here,” she said. “It's a lot of speeding and people just not really trying to pay attention." As they wiped away tears and lit candles for La Cruz, family says his spirit will live on. "He was a really good man,” said Salcedo. Police are still looking for three people who they say left the scene of that crash. The family started a fundraiser to help with funeral expenses. You can donate here. Disclaimer: Statements made by family and friends were translated from Spanish. "