Clayton Jones Sr. has spent much of the last two days sitting on the side of Sheppard Avenue in Scarborough hoping the driver who allegedly struck and killed his daughter Friday night will come back and talk to him.
“I’ve been sitting here since Friday because I know that the driver has to come back,” he said.
“They have to feel something. The person must feel something.”
Jones Sr.’s daughter Celeste Jones was killed after police said she was struck by a vehicle which then fled the area.
Police said the collision occurred in the area of Pharmacy Avenue and Sheppard Avenue East around 10:30 p.m.
Celeste was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jones Sr. happened to be driving in the area shortly after the accident and was rerouted, but did not know until a few hours later that his daughter had been killed in an alleged hit-and-run.
“I’m not angry. I’m just heartbroken that they would just do something like that,” he said.
“The person didn’t stop. They could’ve held her hands during that last time, comfort her, say sorry. They never did that and that hurts me.”
Her family described Celeste, 34, as kind, loving and smart. She was heading to work a night shift doing inventory at the LCBO when the crash happened.
Police have not been able to provide a suspect vehicle description, other than to say the vehicle likely has front-end damage.
WATCH: Family of alleged Scarborough hit-and-run victim pleads for driver to come forward
Investigators have called on any witnesses to come forward, including one person who police say tried to assist Celeste after the crash.
“Part of life is making mistakes,” said Clayton Jones Jr., Celeste’s brother.
“We make mistakes and we become better, but part of becoming better is being accountable… For someone to come forward and speak upon the incident that happened — to give light to what happened — it changes everything. It’s justice.”
Jones Jr. said he is not looking to hold a grudge but is just looking to get some answers.
“Closure is going to be a hard thing without knowing what really happened that night,” he said.
“It tears me apart.”
Friday marked just under three weeks to Celeste’s 35th birthday and now, instead of planning a party, her family is planning to release 35 black balloons in the air in her memory.
In the meantime, Jones Jr. has a message for the person responsible for his sister’s death: “I need you to know that Celeste was loved. That she had a family that cared for her. That she was a good person with lots of love in her heart.”
The Jones family has also started a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral and memorial costs.
Anyone with information on the collision is asked to contact police at 416-808-1900 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.
– With files from Morganne Campbell