Warning: This story contains images that may be disturbing to some readers.
A London mother is pleading for answers after her teenage son was left severely injured following an unsolved hit-and-run.
It was around 11 p.m. on Jul. 21 when Tristan Roby was cycling with a friend along Exeter Road. The pair were travelling westbound toward Wonderland Road when a vehicle from behind struck Roby’s bicycle, according to police.
The vehicle stopped momentarily but then fled the scene, police say. Numerous witnesses were in the area, one of whom reportedly followed the vehicle and “detained a fleeing passenger,” according to police.
The vehicle was later found in a nearby parking lot, but a driver was never identified.
The incident came just three days shy of Roby’s 18th birthday
More than a week after the crash, Abby Roby is doing what she can to bring closure for her suffering son.
During an appearance on the Craig Needles Show, Roby told listeners that “everyday is a new fight” for Tristan.
“He’s still in a coma. He’s unresponsive to any type of stimulus,” Roby said.
“He’s hanging in there and I have hope that he’ll be out of it and say something, so I can meet my new son.”
An outdoorsy kind of guy
A recent graduate of Sir Wilfred Laurier Secondary School, Roby describes her son as an “outdoorsy kind of guy.”
“He’s interested in just about anything. If he’s not yelling at me to come out and have a look at some bug, he’s lifting a rock to look at an ant colony,” Roby said.
She added that her son had planned to return to high school to prepare to study anthropology in university.
Looking for closure
The driver of the vehicle involved in the incident remains unidentified, with the latest update from London police arriving last Wednesday.
Roby told Global News Radio 980 CFPL that she is hoping the driver will step forward and bring closure to her family.
“I just want to hear your story. I want to know what happened, what led to this” Roby said.
“I need to figure out how to forgive you.”
Roby has since launched a GoFundMe campaign that aims to cover any unexpected costs that may arise from Tristan’s recovery.
Within three days of its launch, the campaign has already garnered more than $9,000 in donations.
“I’ve never done anything like this for myself,” wrote Roby on a post attached to the campaign’s page.
“But I am pleading for some help for my son.”
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