COVINGTON, Tenn. – Covington police are searching for the driver who hit and killed a 15-year-old boy Thursday as he was riding his bike home.
Anthony Whiteman was hit around 8:30 p.m. on Highway 51 near Garland. He died Saturday morning at Regional Medical Center.
Just one witness has come forward and describes the suspect’s vehicle as a dark-colored SUV.
A nearby surveillance camera shows Whiteman riding his bike, but police say the collision happened about 200 yards out of the camera’s view.
“It’s very frustrating especially during that time of night and also the rainy conditions. It’s very hard to determine the actual make and model of the vehicle,” said Capt. Jack Howell with the Covington Police Department.
Family and friends say Whiteman enjoyed working with his hands and even restored the bicycle he was riding Thursday.
They say he also liked to help others, volunteering to do handiwork around his neighborhood and even coming to Sara Sparks’ aid when her one-year-old son went missing just an hour or so before Whiteman was hit.
“Anthony said, ‘He’s right here. I just brought him in from outside,’” said Sparks. “He could have very well saved him.”
Whiteman’s mother said he called around 8 p.m. to tell her he was on his way home, but she grew worried when he had not arrived by 9 p.m.
“I have a tracker on his phone to tell me which location he was at, and it kept going back and forth along the highway and I said, ‘Something’s wrong,’” said Whiteman.
With very few leads, police are pinning their hopes on additional witnesses coming forward. Whiteman hopes the driver comes forward as well.
“Please just tell us who you are. The family wants to know. We’re not mad,” she said.
“If it was your child, you would want to know.”
Whiteman will be laid to rest October 15. His family is raising money to cover funeral expenses: https://www.gofundme.com/f/Help-with-Anthony-funeral-expenses?qid=980f7a4715d8d92606dd61454e9b2f80
