Wife wants hit-run driver to fess up: 'You left a family devastated'
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CORNELIUS, Ore. – David Eklund was going to a neighborhood in Southeast Portland Wednesday night to visit his mother when he was hit and killed by a hit-and-run driver.
A makeshift memorial of candles and teddy bears Thursday night marked the area where he was hit at Southeast 71st and Powell.
"Every time I walk in the room I expect him to be there," his wife of seven years, Cindy Eklund, told KATU News Thursday night.
She calls her husband a 60-year-old sweetheart who loved his telescopes and space – and was a good man.
"It's devastating because he was just here, joking, 'I'll be back Saturday," Cindy said.
She said before David left on Halloween evening she tried to get him to stay.
"I said no. He grabbed his hat. He said, 'I gotta leave before the fools get out.' I said, 'I know,' gave him a kiss. He grabbed that bag, that green bag you saw on the sidewalk and went over to his mom's."
Witnesses said David was in the crosswalk when an SUV hit him around 9:30 p.m. The driver took off and left David behind.
"He was actually hit, rolled off the hood and ran over him. That's why he died," Cindy said.
She said she hopes the driver will fess up.
"They should tell him whatever you did. Yes, it was a mistake, but you need to own up to it. You did it. Nobody else did it. You did it.'"
While she can't imagine who did this, or why, all she knows is she'll never get David back.
"You left a family devastated," she said.
It's still unclear if David had the signal to cross or not. Police still don't have a lot of information on the SUV other than it was small and black and last seen heading west on Powell.
Police don't have a lot of information on the driver, either. They say the driver is a white male in his 30s or 40s with short black hair.
Police are asking anyone who may have any information about the incident to give them a call.
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 @LAHobbs She never kicked him out, he frequently visited his mother. No one ever said David did anything wrong. I don't know who you are, but how dare you insinuate that my family is abusive. None of us ever did anything to him.
I care about this life. He was my aunt's husband and his death has nearly destroyed her. If anyone has any information leading to the finding of the driver who did this, please tell the police!
Keep your cell phones handy. When you see any accident, if your not rendering first aid, take pictures ASAP.
So Sad! The person who killed him needs to come forward! There is no excuse for what you did. The person who witnessed the accident,and wrote down the license plate-  do the right  thing. You do not want to get involved-well-guess what,you are involved. You have information,that you are withholding from police. The driver of the car could have been arrested already! You do not want to get involved, but yet you posted on-line that you witnessed it,and wrote down the license number.Please do the right thing!
I'm fairly sure the driver is paying close attention to the news, and likely reading comments. Dude, I hope you turn yourself in--if they find you before you do, it will go a lot worse. Not that I'm concerned for how it 'goes' for you, honestly. Anyone who would hit a person and keep going (especially after stopping first) has some serious issues. And @dougrpdx , you're full of it: if you knew anything you'd have spoken up by now rather than call attention to yourself online (thus incriminating yourself for withholding key evidence).
I have the license number to the car.. I will give the guy until tomorrow to fess up .. I was in the car just behind him, I got his license number , i don't want involved at all, but if you don't do this on your own I will have to call the police.. Dude, it's up to you..
 @dougrpdx You should never joke about something as important as this! His killer needs to be caught, not joked about like the loss of a life means nothing.
 @dougrpdx B.S.
 @dougrpdx Tread lightly. This is obstruction of justice. ...and no. It's up to you to turn it in.  It's your responsibility as a witness to a FATALITY HIT AND RUN. Your unwillingness to get involved makes you just as guilty as the person who ran him over. This isn't about you. It's about a man you saw get killed and choose to stay quiet about it.Â
Interesting attempt...
 @Joe M I know.. Let's see if I'm joking..
 @Thebigboot  @dougrpdx  @Joe M No, he's playing poker. Whereas I can appreciate the attempt, he may cause more harm than good.
 @dougrpdx  @Joe M So you're withholding evidence in a police investigation?Â
A continuing number of hit-and-runs in this city! What the hell is wrong with people that they do not stop and render assistance and leave someone suffering and/or dying alone in the street?? It's like there seem to be a lot of people out there who not only need to pass a driver's license exam but an ethics exam and a test to see if they are sociopaths, compulsive liars or narcissists before they get licensed. And then there are the many unlicensed drivers buzzing around too: no license, no insurance, and often no ID.  For the family of David Eklund: I am so sorry for your loss. I hope the driver will be arrested soon and convicted, and I hope you will be comforted by your good memories of David.
 @whirledworld We have removed morals an ethics, we no longer have a "Moral Compass" blame it on those that hate Christians. they say we can do with out it. But at the rate society is declining, I must beg to differ.
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But what do I know?
Any other explanation for irresponsibly and lack of caring? I'd love to hear the answer on why people no longer care for human life.
 @lee986321  @whirledworld ~  Lee, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're saying that Christians are the only ones with a "moral compass"?   That's just a bit on the arrogant side, isn't it..? Â
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Why is it necessary for a person to be affiliated with organized religion in order to understand personal responsibility, and/or to know right from wrong and to behave accordingly..?
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Some things are just wrong, regardless of your religion, or if you're an agnostic or an atheist... Leaving an accident scene where there are injured people is one of those things.
@margay1...I know it's tempting to try and makes sense of Lee's statements but it's an exercise in futility. Just nod politely and keep moving.
@lee986321....as a matter of fact, there's a moral compass app for the iPhone....I found it while surfing the Ihatechristians.com site...so there's really no excuse anymore for this sort of behavior.
 @lee986321  @whirledworld Your claim that "people no longer care for human life" cannot be substantiated. The guilty have tried to escape responsibility for wrongdoing for as long as there has been human history. And Christianity does not "supply" moral values. If your argument were valid, only non-Christians would be committing crimes against their fellow man. And if your argument were valid, anyone not versed in Christianity would believe that taking another's life is acceptable. Anthropology and the social sciences prove otherwise.
@lee986321 @whirledworld I'm a atheist who doesn't care too much for pushy Christians.I certainly don't think Christinity has anything to a whole lot about society in the USA.Look at Japan for example.Low crime rate,people care for their elders and are very polite to each other and most Japanese people are either Buddhists or atheists.
@ormom @noneofyourbizzness The atrocities of war has nothing to do with 21st century Japanese Culture.
 @noneofyourbizzness Â
You might want to google Bataan death march.
 @whirledworld oh I have an interesting Video with 1 car White with no plates , and a motor cycle with an unusual big plate ??