'My son needs justice': Mom of Tyler Phillips who died saving sister asks hit-and-run driver to come forward
CORAM, NEW YORK: Tyler Phillips, 13, from Medford, Long Island, sacrificed himself in order to save his sister, Krystal Randolph, in a hit-and-run on October 12. The accident turned horrific when the young boy was hit by an SUV and succumbed to his injuries later, essentially a day after celebrating his 13th birthday. Phillips was able to save his sister from the tragic fate but could not save himself and the driver responsible for this horror is still on the run.
Phillip's mother Desira Mack has now paid tribute to her son and asked the driver to "come forward." Mack previously revealed that the horrendous accident left Phillips with a separated vertebrate and skull with no brain function. The grieving mother had a strong message for the hit-and-run driver. She told Daily Mail, "Come forward. Stop playing around. What you are doing, just come forward. My son needs justice. I need justice." Mack told the outlet, "I am a total mess right now. He was amazing, stubborn, cranky, crazy at times but he was an amazing boy. He's a hero." Mack explained how Granny Road has always been horrible to drive upon saying, "We need to put a stop light there and stop signs - maybe have cops sit there so when people drive fast they will have to slow down. We need to have streetlights on that road, and cameras."
READ MORE
Mack explained that Phillips was well aware of the place as her boyfriend lived close to where the accident took place. Mack continued to pay tribute to the fallen soldier who sacrificed his life to save his sister saying, "When there was a bad situation he handled it the best way he knew how. He handled everything he was supposed to. At times he was difficult to deal with, but once you sat down and explained it to him he was good. He was an amazing kid. We have been living in a shelter for almost a year. I asked the shelter to move me in February and they wouldn't listen to me. Maybe if they moved me my son would still be alive and I wouldn't be burying him tomorrow."
Phillips was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition and Randolph was also taken to the same hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. However, the boy could not survive. After three days of battle, he was pronounced dead on October 15. The vehicle, as described by the police, is a light gray 2005 to 2009 Chevrolet Equinox with front passenger bumper damage, a headlight missing, and the side view front passenger mirror also broken. The police are also offering a $5,000 reward for information and Mack has requested people to come forward with any information that could lead the authorities to an arrest.