Grieving family and friends are hoping to get more details about the crash that killed Lucius "Tyrone" Gaskins, a father of nine children and a grandfather to two, as he walked on a sidewalk near the Huntington Metro station in Virginia last week.
His mom, Rowena Coleman, said Gaskins moved back in with her a few years ago to help take care of her.
"He cooked, he cleaned up," she said. "He went to the store for me. He did all that."
Michael Rambudhan, 38, of Woodridge was drunk driving after midnight Friday when he lost control of his SUV, first striking the median along the sidewalk where Gaskins, 54, was hit, police said. He then drove through the grass, smashing into a tree that toppled over, police said.
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SUV parts were scattered on the ground where the vehicle flipped over.
Gaskins died at the scene.
Friday morning, the Fairfax County police were at his mother's door with the devasting news that her only living child was killed. Her other son died in 2016.
Friend says victim's backpack and keys were left at the scene
Shirley Redfear, a longtime friend, said she was emotionally all over the place after hearing the news.
"I was numb, I was hurt," Redfear said. "I just couldn't believe I was hearing this for him to lose his life like this."
In spite of her grief, she went to the scene looking for more details about what happened.
"I wanted to go to the last place where he took his last breath," Redfear said.
Redfear and others want to know if Gaskins might have been riding a scooter found near the scene. She was surprised to find his backpack and keys were left behind and not picked up by investigators. Redfear believes that all the evidence there should have been collected.
Rambudhan was charged with driving while intoxicated and refusing to take a breath test. He's being held without bond.
"I think he should pay for it, whatever he done," Coleman said. "He took something from me, I'm telling you."
Investigators are in the process of figuring out whether investigators are considering more serious charges against the driver.
