Hit-and-run on Middlebelt leaves Romulus man in coma

ROMULUS, Mich. (WJBK) - A hit-and-run in Romulus last Friday left a 43-year-old man in a coma fighting for his life.

"Why would soembody just drive off and leave my brother lying there to die without a second thought?" said Jeremiah Compau, the victim's brother.

That question swirls Compau's mind, thinking of his older brother Jeffrey Compau still lying in a coma Tuesday.

"He may never wake up, and if he does, he won't be the same person," Compau said.

Romulus police say around 7 p.m. last Friday, a driver in a tan Buick Rendezvous southbound on Middlebelt Road between Eureka and Pennsylvania hit Jeffrey, who had been walking along Middlebelt heading home from the gas station.

"He was off on the shoulder. Many people on the road see him walking up and down, and every one of them said he always walks on the shoulder," Compau said.

He says although his brother is mentally challenged, he's quite high-functioning and loves people.

Compau calls him a big teddy bear with an even bigger heart.

"He's just a great person. Great all-around guy. And for this to happen to him is unbelievable," he said.

Compau says his brother Jeffrey is about 6'0" and 230 lbs.

He adds that a witness does report seeing the driver slow down for a moment before taking off.

"If it was an accident, it was an accident. Explain yourself. Explain why you drove off and left my brother lying there to die," Compau said.

Compau says his brother has major brain injuries, internal bleeding, fractures to his face and skull, a punctured lung, a broken neck and pelvis, and broken ribs.

"If nobody was there, he probably wouldn't have made it to the hospital," he said.

Romulus police say theyre actively searching for that tan Rendezvous that likely has damage to the front passenger-side headlight and a missing mirror on the same side.

While Crime Stoppers is now offering a $2,500 reward for tips, Compau holds out hope that his big brother will pull through and that driver is found.

CLICK HERE to donate to the family's GoFundMe account.