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‘Just come forward’: Charlotte mother pleads for answers after son killed in hit-and-run

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A mother is begging for answers after the driver who hit and killed her son last month in east Charlotte is still on the run.

It happened just after 3:30 a.m. on Sept. 6 along East Independence Boulevard.

Officers responded to a “check-the-welfare” call in the area and when they got there, they found 22-year-old Cameron Cook unconscious and in the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said Cook was walking in the right lane of inbound East Independence Boulevard when he was hit by an unknown vehicle at the Brookshire Boulevard and John Belk Freeway split.

Officials said the area where the crash happened was not well lit. The driver who hit Cook drove away, but a bystander called 911.

Authorities said they are looking for a red Ford Fusion or Ford Focus with black wheels. They said it may also have damage to one of the fog lights or turn signals.

Cameron’s mother Jen Cook talked to police and shared a message for the person who killed her son.

“Just left him on the side of the road,” Cook said. “You know who you are, and if you have any remorse or conscience, that you would just come forward.”

Channel 9 also spoke to Cameron’s friend shortly after the collision.

“It’s just so mind-blowing to me that somebody could hit somebody on the side of the road and just keep driving,” said Sean Brennan, the victim’s friend.

He said Cook had a great sense of humor and was a great friend to those who knew him.

“If you ask anybody, anybody he’s ever known, they would say he’s a great guy. He was really, probably, the smartest person I know,” Brennan said.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

This is an ongoing investigation. Check back with wsoctv.com for more information.