Three vehicles sought in fatal Garden City hit and run

GARDEN CITY, Mich. - A 52-year-old was out running a quick errand when he was hit, now the police are looking for the drivers responsible for his death.

"They left my friend out there in the street, my brother like a dog,” said Fred Jennings, a friend of the victim.

Fred Jennings is mourning the death of his friend and roommate George Punga.

Garden City police tell Fox 2 the 52-year-old man was struck by two vehicles going in opposite directions around 8:44p.m. last night while he was crossing Ford Road just east of Middlebelt.

Police say the drivers kept going.

Punga was life flighted to U of M hospital where he later died.

"Maybe those few extra seconds, they could have stayed and made a difference,” said Jennings.

The victim had just left his home only a block away from the scene and he was walking to a nearby Kroger to buy some fresh coffee.

"It still really hadn't sunk in yet that I'm never going to see my partner, my brother, I'm not going to see him again and he’s never going to walk through that door again,” said Jennings.

Unfortunately, this friend says that he's having difficult time contacting family.

"He never really talked about the past, just certain little things,” said Jennings. “He's supposed to have a daughter out there somewhere but I know nothing of family, I never have seen anyone, no one came to visit."

George Punga was well liked in this neighborhood. Residents tell me he came to a lot of area businesses here along Ford Road. In terms of work, he actually just finished a major project at this local barbershop that recently opened.

"As you see he helped me do all of this flooring, he helped put the chairs together and he was pretty much a good handy man, helped me out, did little things,” said Michael Smarczewski, who worked with the victim.

"He was just a real good guy man. For that to happen to him like that, it was just wrong,” said Smarczewski.

Police are looking for the drivers in three vehicles; a white Dodge Challenger, a white SUV, and a red minivan.

Despite what has happened, Jennings is confident the drivers will turn themselves in.

"I think these people will do the right thing and step forward, they're probably just scared right now but accidents happen and you're never really paying attention until it hits home,” said Jennings.

Garden City police spent the evening gathering 52 pieces of evidence from the scene.

Anyone with information on the drivers is asked to give them a call.