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INDIANAPOLIS — Police are asking for help finding a vehicle possibly connected to a hit-and-run crash that left an Indianapolis man dead.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said the crash that killed 34-year-old Jonathan Fahey happened around 5:45 a.m. on July 23 in the 7700 block of North Shadeland Avenue.

“Jonathan was just a beautiful spirit,” said his mother, Dawn Cordero. “Jonathan was one of the kindest, most loving and forgiving people I’ve had the privilege of having in my life. It’s just a bonus he was also my son.”

Nearly two months have passed since Fahey was killed while walking. Cordero said, it doesn’t get easier, especially without having answers on who did this and why they left without helping him.

“It’s been devastating for me. It’s hard to explain the pain. I don’t know that I could ever explain the pain,” Cordero shared. “You can’t hit somebody, hit somebody’s family, another human being, and just leave them.”

Investigators said they have developed a vehicle they believe the suspect driver may have been in when the crash happened, according to IMPD.

Police are looking for a 2006-2012 black Dodge Nitro in connection with the hit-and-run crash. Investigators say the vehicle sustained damage to the lower front end from the collision.

“They say it takes a village, so I’m reaching out to everyone in my village. I need your help,” said Cordero. “I’m begging for anybody with information on this at all, on my son’s death, to please, please come forward.”

Stock photo of the vehicle (Photo//IMPD)

IMPD said it can take time to track down leads in cases like this, especially on a heavily traveled road like North Shadeland Avenue. It’s also another reason detectives said they are hoping for anyone with information to come forward.

“Hit-and-run detectives have to do a thorough investigation especially when you have traffic patterns, a street that’s heavily traveled, such as the Shadeland corridor,” said Officer William Young, IMPD public information officer.

“Our investigators continuously canvas areas, but nothing is more important than witness information and folks coming forward with information. We want to bring justice to this family. No one should ever have to endure this,” said Young.

Both family and IMPD agree that somebody has information, even if that somebody is only the driver. They’re asking anyone who may believe they know something to consider speaking up for the victim and his family.

“With the driver, it has to be on his or her mind and the hope is that you’ll turn yourself in; speak with investigators,” said Young. “It has to be on your mind. Can you imagine striking someone? Maybe you didn’t know you struck someone. Let the investigators speak with you. Let them do their due diligence in bringing this case to closure. It helps that family.”

“It would mean everything to me so I can try to begin to put the pieces of my life back together. It just completely destroyed me to lose my son, especially like this,” said Cordero.

Because she knows her son would do the same, Cordero said she has already forgiven the driver. However, she wants to see justice, not only for her family, but to send a greater message that these kinds of acts can’t be tolerated.

“We need to get the message that this isn’t acceptable,” said Cordero. “We’ve had a lot of this happen lately, so I think that’s really important. This needs to stop. I just can’t explain how much, I mean, he was my son. He meant everything to me. He was my life.”

“It’s a loss of life, and that within itself when you just say those words, that’s extremely important to our investigators, it’s extremely important to the community,” said Young.

The deadly hit and run that claimed Fahey’s life was the first of three that weekend. While investigators have been able to announce arrests in a handful of these cases, IMPD said it’s crucial to get information that helps corroborate what happened from as many people as possible.

“We’ve made a significant number of arrests or closed a significant number of hit-and-run investigations based off community input. It’s important they continue to do that. Think about if this was your loved one or a family friend. You’ll want someone to come forth with that information,” said Young.

He added, “You could be the missing link in solving a case and you may not even know it. You may have seen something that just didn’t sit well with you or just didn’t match up. Let our investigators know that information if you have it.”

Cordero said, in light of everything her family has faced, she’s found comfort in knowing that her son impacted many lives for the better. She hopes someone will help do the same for her family and return the empathy her son gave to others, by coming forward.

“I know that somebody knows some thing. There’s someone out there that’s going to see this and is either heard something, even if you think there’s a possibility that it’s related, that it’s related to my son’s accident, please, I’m asking, it could be what we need,” said Cordero. “With things like this, we have to stay together as a community. We have to.”

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the vehicle is asked to call the IMPD Crash Investigations Office at (317) 327-6549.

You can also call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-TIPS (8477). Those who submit tips can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward up to $1,000 if the information leads to a felony arrest.