A fatal hit-and-run in Buena Park Saturday night killed a 58-year-old man and left his wife, a long-time Long Beach Memorial Medical Center nurse, critically injured, family and police said.
The family of Keith Alan, 58, who was killed, and Tami Alan, 62, who was injured, are urging the public to help identify whoever fled from the scene of the crash.
Naomi Alan, the couple’s 28-year-old daughter, said that her dad was likely killed on impact when a pickup truck ran a red light at the intersection of Western Avenue and Auto Center Drive and plowed into the driver side door.
The collision happened just minutes from the family’s home in Buena Park, one day before Naomi’s 28th birthday that her dad had spent so much time planning for.
Tami has been a nurse at Memorial for decades, her most recent assignment being in the operating room at Millers Children & Women’s Hospital. Naomi said her mom could have a long road to recovery after suffering multiple fractures and internal injuries due to the impact, but she could ultimately survive.
“It means the world to us right now,” Alan said of the prospects of one of her parents surviving the accident. “She’s all we have left right now.”
Naomi said she and her two younger siblings have had the painful task of having to notify their mother, who’s been heavily sedated, over and over again that their dad didn’t survive the crash.
She started a GoFundMe to help pay for the funeral costs for her dad, but also to raise money for a potential reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for his death.
The account has grown to over $34,000 in just a few days and Naomi is pledging 40% of that of that as a reward. Donors remembered the couple as genuine and caring, who served as mentors to those they knew.
“It’s tough over here just knowing that they’re still out there,” Naomi said of the driver. “They could do this to someone else, or if they get away, I don’t think we’ll ever have closure.”
A press release from the Buena Park Police Department said that while the suspect’s vehicle was left at the scene, all occupants of the truck were seen running from the scene on foot before police arrived.
Naomi said her parents were headed to their favorite restaurant, Lupo D’ Abruzzo, where her parents had come to love the family atmosphere. Her mom’s favorite dish was the clam linguine and her dad loved the lamb chops, she said.
Her dad Keith was a lawyer and a huge “Star Trek” fan, and she was thinking of saving up money to throw a themed party for his 60th birthday next year. He also loved Dalmatians and was thinking of getting a new puppy after the recent death of the family’s Dalmatian, Daphne.
Naomi said her dad had started his career as a business lawyer but transitioned to personal injury cases where he often gave his friends and family discounted rates. He served as the president of his home owners association for years and had started to think of running for public office.
“He really loved his community and really tried to be a good friend to neighbors and my mom’s coworkers,” Alan said.
Despite the people responsible for her father’s death still on the loose, Naomi said she believes there is good in the world. She pointed out the people who stayed with her parents until first responders arrived. She hopes others will “step up and do the right thing” by identifying the people who fled, or possibly having one of the suspects turn themselves in.
When asked how she would remember her dad, Alan remembered one of the things he instilled in her and her siblings: to always tell someone that you loved them before they left the house to run errands or go to work or school.
“That way you know if that’s the last time you see them you know you told them you loved them,” Naomi said, adding those were the last words she spoke to her father.