WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The nonprofit Construction Angels is helping the family of a man who was hit by a car in West Palm Beach and died five days later.
The collision claimed the life of Louis Vixon, 67, of Miami.
"How's the family doing?" WPTV reporter Joel Lopez asked Kristi Ronyak, the founder of Construction Angels.
"Like any other family would react when they've lost a loved one," Ronyak said. "You'd expect them to come back at the end of the day ... to say 'goodbye' or 'hello,' but they don't come back."
West Palm Beach police spokesman Mike Jachles said Vixon was working to resurface the roadway at Congress Avenue and Executive Center Drive on Dec. 21 when a car drove into the construction zone and struck him.
Police announced Thursday that Vixon died the day after Christmas.
The nonprofit Construction Angels has helped hundreds of families that have lost loved ones in construction-related deaths.
"It's the holidays right now and there's never a good time to lose somebody you love, but we're thinking of them. That's hard," Ronyak said.
Ronyak said she grew up in the industry and realized there was a need for support.
She founded Construction Angels 13 years ago and has since expanded the organization to 26 states.
According to Ronyak, an average of three-and-a-half construction workers are killed on the job every day in the U.S.
"Accidents are preventable, but this one just still hasn't been resolved," Ronyak said. "You have men and women working in the middle of the road that's operating, and so the best thing to do is slow down and don't speed in our work zones and try to move over if you can."
Construction Angels helps families through scholarships, grief counseling and financial support.
"It's up to the family's discretion [how to use the money]," Ronyak said. "They could use it for tying up loose ends or food or medical bills. It could be for the funeral."
WPTV spoke with Vixon's daughter, who said the family isn't ready to go on camera but shared pictures of her father.
Vixon leaves behind a wife, a 20-year-old daughter, and an 18-year-old son.
"The car should have recent damage from the impact," Jachles said. "The car was traveling at a high rate of speed when it hit Vixon."
Police released surveillance video that showed the car they believe is responsible for the hit-and-run crash that killed Vixon.
"Why is it so difficult to make out what the car looks like in this video?" Lopez asked.
"This is nighttime video. It's at a distance was traveling at a high rate of speed," Jachles said. "Investigators are looking closely at that video trying to enhance it to see if it'll lead them to that suspect's car."
If you have any information in the case, you can report it anonymously to Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at 800-458-TIPS (8477).
Tipsters could be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
