Family pleads for driver suspected of hitting and killing their son to turn themselves in

WYANDOTTE, Mich. (FOX 2) - The family of an avid motorcyclist who was hit and killed by a motorist made a public plea on Monday for the suspect to turn himself in.

Remembering the moment she picked up the phone and heard the news, Juliana Baughman, mother of Herman Walters III who was killed, said she was devastated.

"I hung up the phone and I screamed at the top of my lungs," said Baughman.

Walters, who was affectionately known as 'Rocky', loved motorcycles, even investing time being part of The Penetrators, a motorcycle club. And on the fateful Sunday when he was found close to death, it was next to his Harley Davidson.

"...broke his skull open and they left him there," Baughman said. "They did not call 911. They did not attempt to save my son. They did not attempt to help him."

While the incident's ending remains a sad one, there are still many gaps regarding who the suspect was.

Just after midnight on Sunday on the Southfield Service Drive near Schoolcraft in Detroit, Rocky was hit by a motorist driving an unknown vehicle at a high rate of speed. That driver did not check on who they had hit. That pinnacle decision to keep driving likely led to Rocky's death as he was still alive at the time of impact.

"But when he was finally found, he was taken to Sinai Grace Hospital where he was born and he was still alive," Baughman said. "All they had to do was stop, call 911 and report it. Maybe that time could have saved his life."

Standing beside Baughman was her daughter Samantha Walters. She also spoke through tears.

"It was just me and my brother growing up and he's gone. No one can replace that," she said.

While the family is still reconciling with their new reality that has left a void in their lives, they spent time on Monday pleading that the driver who hit their son to please turn themselves in.

"Think about that if it was on the other end and it was your family and this is what happened to your family," Baughman said. "Is this what you would want for them? And if the answer is 'no,' then turn yourself in."

Information on Walters' visitation can be found here.