'Somebody knows something': Police appeal for information in Flamborough hit-and-run

It has been nearly three months since Wayne Miller was struck and killed in a hit-and-run on Centre Road and his brother Jim Miller is still looking for answers.

It's very frustrating," Miller said of the lack of progress in the investigation.

Wayne, a longtime and beloved teacher at Flamborough Centre School, was out for his regular evening walk on Centre Road Sept. 17 when he was struck and killed in a hit-and-run. He was 76.

Jim said he is trying to get the word out to the community and have anyone who has information come forward.

To that end he has connected with Crime Stoppers to produce television and radio appeals for information and he would like to see posters in Waterdown and Carlisle - perhaps at the Beer Store and LCBO - as well as Memorial Park, Joe Sams Park and the dog park.

I just wish the people would just come forward," he said. I can't imagine how they must feel.

They surely know it happened - that's what the cops say - There's no way they didn't know they hit him.' "

Pat Keller, a retired collision reconstruction officer who lives in Waterdown and knew Wayne and the Miller family, reached out to Jim after the accident and was instrumental in the Crime Stoppers video, as well as searching the area for any leads.

He said the case is difficult because of the lack of eyewitnesses who have come forward and there was no debris at the scene.

They haven't got a lot to go on," he said of police. They're beating the bushes and just trying every avenue to try and find a witness."

Det.-Const. Wes Wilson, the lead investigator on the case from the Hamilton Police Service's collision reconstruction unit, said they are still working on locating the vehicle that struck Miller.

Wilson said police are still appealing for witnesses and it is an active investigation - but he added these types of investigations can take a long time to wrap up. In fact, he said the collision reconstruction unit has active files from 1998 and 2011.

Somebody knows something," he said of the case. We have a hard time when we do these (hit-and-run investigations) fathoming that somebody has hit someone - they know they've hit something - and they drive away.

It's mind-boggling."

He said part of the issue in the Centre Road case is the witnesses they have spoken to heard the collision, but didn't see it. Police also have conflicting witness statements about the colour of the vehicle.

Wilson said one witness heard the sound of the collision from his backyard, came to the front of the house and saw what he said was a white Nissan SUV. Meanwhile, a witness from the dog park at Joe Sams said they heard the accident as well and when they looked they saw a red sedan driving away - and there may or may not have been a white SUV following.

We've been hesitant about giving out a definite colour," he said.

Wilson said police have viewed home security footage from neighbours, but as the homes in the area are set back from the roadway, they don't show much other than headlights.

He added police are also making their way through a list of about 150 people who were at Joe Sams Leisure Park for the baseball game on Sept. 17, but noted it takes a lot of time and legwork to track the people down.

We're hoping that somebody's conscience gets to them and they feel like they have to do the right thing," he said. We'll keep working until we get a positive result."

Anyone with information about the hit-and-fun can contact Wilson at 905-546-4753. To provide information anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit anonymous tips online at www.crimestoppershamilton.com.