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'We want justice': Family identifies victim of hit-and-run near Palm Beach International Airport

Mother identifies victim as 52-year-old Miguel Montoya
Miguel Montoya was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Palm Beach County on Dec. 28, 2024.
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PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A family is seeking answers after a man was hit and killed near Palm Beach International Airport early Saturday morning.

His mother, Abby Montoya, identified the victim as 52-year-old Miguel Montoya. The family is left heartbroken after learning Montoya’s body was left alone, and the vehicle fled the scene.

"I can be sitting down and all of a sudden an image of him being on the ground dead and nobody there to help him," Abby Montoya said. "That's what breaks me up."

Abby Montoya lives miles away in Odessa, Texas, and said nothing could have prepared her for the tragic news.

"I was screaming and crying and my body just felt real weak like I was going to fall," she said.

Abby Montoya speaks to WPTV about the loss of her son in a hit-and-run crash in Palm Beach County.
Abby Montoya speaks to WPTV about the loss of her son in a hit-and-run crash in Palm Beach County.

Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies said Miguel Montoya was crossing the northbound lanes of Military Trail when the vehicle struck him.

The family is working to find solutions, as they grieve his loss.

"This is a human being," the victim's mother said. "We want justice done for him because he didn't deserve that."

Meanwhile, Abby Montoya remembers her son for his sense of humor, his support and his heart.

"He was a good person," she told WPTV. "He would help anybody that he could, and if he had money, he would share it."

She said the loss of her son is the harsh reality she has to face.

"It's just something that's hard to accept for me because I will never talk to him again," Abby Montoya said.

The Montoya family is seeking justice and hope the driver is found. They started a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.

They are hoping to bring Miguel Montoya back to Odessa, Texas, for a proper burial.