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Family Offers $5K Reward For Information On Belle Plaine Hit-And-Run

BELLE PLAINE, Minn. (WCCO) -- The family of a man killed in a hit-and-run is looking for help in finding the person responsible.

They are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Twenty-nine-year-old Derek Fath was hit and killed by a car as he was walking home along Highway 169 near Belle Plaine, Minnesota.

"We are hurting and desperately want to know what happened to our son," said Jim Fath.

A family searching for answers turns to their neighbors for help.

"We are here to plead to the public, asking anyone out there who knows something to come forward," Jim Fath said.

It was Aug. 14, sometime between 4:30 and 5:15 a.m., when a car traveling northbound on Highway 169 and Belle Plaine Trail hit Derek Fath as he walked home from a party.

"If the driver had stopped who knows what could have happened," Jim Fath said.

This family so desperately wants answers they are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

"We will never have closure when it comes to the pain and hurt we are feeling, but getting some answers would go a long way in helping us move on from this nightmare we are living," Jim Fath said.

The Minnesota State Patrol is looking for a 2010 to 2012 Ford Fusion or Mercury Milan spotted at the time of the crash.

Investigators say they rely on eyewitnesses to solve these cases.

"Even if nobody witnessed the crash it's highly likely there was damage to the vehicle. Oftentimes people who drive away from a crash scene get their vehicle fixed and tell somebody what happened. Don't be afraid to come forward. We need your help," said Lt. Heath Dienger.

And so does Derek's family, who need answers in order to begin to make sense of their loss.

"Even the smallest detail to come forward and help us get some peace," Jim Fath said.

Family members say it was not unusual for Derek to walk home from a party.

They believe someone out there witnessed or knows what happened.

If you have any information call the Minnesota State Patrol.

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