LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Friday afternoon, Dimitric Dryden-Danzy's family and friends took the time to reflect on his life before they said a final, yet temporary, goodbye.
"We're not saying goodbye, but see you later," Stephanie Daniel, Dryden-Danzy's older sister, said. "See you later."
On Sunday, Sep. 10, a driver killed him in a hit-and-run at Dixie Highway and Crums Lane. Police then arrested 37-year-old Joseph Martin, of Louisville, on Tuesday in connection to the incident. He is charged with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license.
Born with Down Syndrome and digestive issues, Dryden-Danzy required a feeding tube and colonoscopy bag until he was a toddler. Then he had open heart surgery but was proud of the scar.
Mark Miller, owner of Miller Tyme's Barber Shop, said Dryden-Danzy was "one of a kind."
"I cried, I cried pretty hard," Miller said. "But I said I wasn't gonna cry, so I'm not gonna cry. I'm gonna hold them back. I'm holding me back because I've already, I've already cried enough, so, but I'm gonna miss the little guy. He had hurt me bad."
Dryden-Danzy started working at Miller's barbershop in 2018.
"I'm just glad he got, they caught the guy that was responsible for running over him like that," Miller said.
Still, a hole remains, forever in the hearts of those who come in and out of the barbershop.
"He always brought good energy," Zay Water, Dryden-Danzy's friend, said. "He always give you a good laugh. And no matter what he was going through, he was always in good spirits."
Anyone interested in helping the family, can visit their GoFundMe.
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