NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A Norfolk man is fighting for his life after he was the victim of a hit-and-run over the weekend.
“The circumstances are horrible,” said Christina Melendez, the victim’s fiancée. “It is messed up how things went down.”
Alex Diacopoulos, the victim, is a manager at Mermaid Winery in Norfolk. Alex Diacopoulos left work just after midnight early Sunday morning. He never made it home.
“It is just so unexpected,” said his mother, Regina Diacopoulos. “You never think this is going to happen.”
When Alex Diacopoulos didn’t come home, Melendez got worried. She checked the location of his phone, which was at the intersection of Llewellyn Avenue and 35th Street.
“I went to where it was,” Melendez added. “There was a truck there. I could only see the front of it, but when it passed me I realized it was a tow truck and his car was smashed.”
Alex Diacopoulos was critically injured in the crash.
“He had a brain injury,” his father, Mark Diacopoulos, said. “There was a bleed on the right side of his brain so his left side isn’t working.”
He also suffered broken bones during the T-bone crash. Police say the driver who hit him got out and left the scene.
“I was in complete shock,” said Mermaid Winery owner Jennifer Eichert. “I just couldn’t believe it. This is probably the worst thing that could happen to someone as nice as him.”
Police are now searching for the driver involved in the crash.
“Without knowing who did it, there are a lot of unknowns,” Mark Diacopoulos added.
“I don’t want to hate anyone,” Melendez said. “I just want to him to get better.”
Family says Alex Diacopoulos has a long road to recovery and the medical bills will quickly stack up. A Gofundme page has been set up to help the family pay for expenses.
