DENVER, COLORADO: Last month, a 35-year-old man in Denver, Colorado, lost his life when an SUV plowed into him as he crossed the street on his bicycle. On December 9, 2022, Logan Rocklin was riding his bicycle through a traffic signal at the intersection of West 38th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard when he was struck by a car and killed instantly.
Hilary van Noort, 30, who is battling leukemia and had just undergone a transplant, was Rocklin's wife, and they had spent the entire day together before the horrific incident. It had only been 11 months since they tied the knot. The family is still waiting for someone to come forward to identify the suspect in the fatal hit-and-run after nearly a month has passed.
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Denver police have released images of two "vehicles of interest," but no suspect has yet been arrested. A vigil was held Friday night by Eric Elliott, Rocklin's brother-in-law, who is deeply saddened by the loss. About 60 people, including friends, family and strangers, attended.
'The grief is suffocating'
Van Noort, Rocklin's beloved wife posted a heartbreaking Facebook message detailing her husband's accident. "I have been utterly broken. The grief is suffocating. My best friend, my soulmate, my new husband, was killed and taken away from me," van Noort posted. "He had spent the entire day by my side, holding my hand and judiciously making sure the docs were administering my transplant exactly right. He left in the early evening, after we both said 'I love you, see you tomorrow'" she detailed.
'He did everything right'
She went on and explained, "He went home, snapped some cute kitty photos for me, answered some emails and then did a total Logan thing — decided to take his bike out on a mild, dry night to run a quick errand. He did everything right - wore his helmet, had his bike lights on and was using the sidewalks for added safety at night."
'The driver fled'
Logan's wife added, "It wasn’t enough - someone decided being in a hurry was more important than being safe - he was hit in the cross walk and killed immediately. The driver fled. She continued, "Please hold your loved ones close and the next time you are on the road, consider slowing down just a little bit more this time."
'No detail is too small'
Van urged people for any information regarding the driver. She wrote, "The outpouring of love and support has been staggering, beautiful, amazing and the dedication to finding the driver unprecedented. PLEASE if you have any information message me or contact the Denver Police Dept. No detail is too small."
The family staged a vigil in Rocklin's honor on Friday, presided over by Elliott, the brother-in-law who has been stationed at the crossroads for the past 22 days with a placard pleading for witnesses and justice. "The outpouring of community support has been pretty overwhelming," an broken Elliot told KDVR. "It's been really rough. My faith in humanity has been restored. People stop by with hot chocolate. People will wave and honk, complete strangers stopping and sharing their stories of loss," he stated.
The Denver Police have a picture of a car that they have identified as a "vehicle of interest," but it is a little hazy. Presently, a ghost bike is present in Rocklin's honor. Along with a photo of the man, it consists of handwritten notes of love and flowers that are all tangled up in the wheels. Rocklin's wife, van Noort, who is suffering from acute myeloid leukemia and underwent a stem-cell transplant operation the day before the accident, has put up a GoFundMe page and raised more than $88,000 of $60,000 goal.
There is also a reward for information that leads to an arrest.
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