The Monroe Police Department is seeking information on the driver of a-átruck that was captured on video moments before it struck and killed a-áMonroe bicyclist and then fled the scene.
Debbrah Marie Pesce, 53, was riding a bike in Monroe at about 7:30 p.m.-áWednesday was struck and killed by the driver of what appeared to be a-á1990s era Ford F-series pickup, white with a blue or green stripe.
Pesce was riding her bike near the intersection of Old Owen Road and US 2-áwhen she was struck. According to witnesses, there was a pickup truck-ábehind another vehicle that was stopped on eastbound US 2. The pickup-ábegan revving the engine, then sped around the stopped vehicle, striking-áthe bicyclist. The bicyclist was then hit by two more vehicles as they-átraveled through the intersection.
A friend of the woman said that she was a friendly, likable woman who had-ábeen going through a difficult period in her life in the last couple of-áyears, but was beginning to turn things around.
"She was a very bubbly person but kind of shy," said her friend Quinn-áJay, who met her at Take the Next Step and became friends with her in the-álast several months. "She was extremely excited if you just asked her how-áshe was or gave her a hug. Despite all of her hard times she always had a-ásmile on her face."
She had been homeless, living in her car, for some time, but had recently-ástarted living at the Brookside Motel, volunteering to help paint the-ámotel and to help out with the after school children's program atMonroe's Take the Next Step, a resource center for people in crisis or-áwho are homeless. She was trying to find cleaning work, she said.
Her car had recently broken down, forcing her to walk on ankles that had-áonce been badly injured and were at times painful, said Jay.
Yet she was a cheerful presence at Take The Next Step dinners, she said.
"My son and a friend were goofing around at the table and accidentally-áspilled a bit of soda and a stream ran down the table past three people-áand landed on her lap and she teased my son about it all night," said-áJay.
Pesce liked children and encouraged Jay's daughter in her love of art,-ásaid Jay.
Police are seeking a truck that looks like this one (which is not the truck involved in the hit and run). A pickup truck that appeared to a 1990s era Ford F-series, white with a blue or green stripe, was caught on camera moments before striking and killing a bicyclist in Monroe. Photo courtesy of the Monroe Police Department
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