Family wants answers after husband hit, killed while fixing car on interstate: ‘He was so loved’

CINCINNATI (WXIX/Gray News) - A grieving Cincinnati family wants answers after their loved one was hit and killed while fixing his car on the side of the interstate.

Switching between tears and laughs over happy memories, the sisters, nieces and wife of 47-year-old Reco Williams sat together Tuesday to share their favorite memories of him.

"He was so loved everywhere he went," his sister, Danetra Williams, told WXIX . "There was never a dull moment. Everyone got a story to tell, and it's a great story."

Police wrote in a press release that Reco Williams, along with a 42-year-old woman, were inspecting a disabled car on Interstate 75 North in Cincinnati around 1:30 a.m. Sunday when he was hit by a vehicle.

"This loss right here, it's the worst pain I've ever felt in my life," Danetra Williams said. "He touched so many people."

Police say a 30-year-old driver lost control of his car and veered off the interstate before he hit Reco Williams, but excessive speed and impairment are not thought to be factors in the crash.

"My husband won't come home, and I'm hurt. I'm hurt," said Reco Williams' wife, Sharia Williams. "I can't see his face. I'm hurt. I just want answers."

The driver was not arrested, and the victim's family wants to know why.

"We don't know nothing," Danetra Williams said. "We don't even know what happened to the car. What was wrong with the car? What were you trying to fix?"

Reco Williams' family says they are extremely close, and the 47-year-old was like a father to his five sisters. They say he was always dancing and singing

"He was the life of the party. He came, showed up and showed off every time," Danetra Williams said.

The Williams family says he played a huge role in the lives of his dozens of nieces and nephews, and family was everything to him.

"Who am I going to call when I feel like I'm in danger?" asked Reco Williams' niece, Keaira Williams. "Who am I going to call when it would've been him? He was everything to me and my family, and I want the world to know how much he was loved and how much he loved us."

The family says this tragedy hurts more than the large family he leaves behind - it hurts an entire community.

Reco Williams' 47th birthday was just two days before he was killed. Danetra Williams says she spent the day with him at a Bengals game.

"That was the last time I got to wrap my arms around my brother, and I wouldn't have never thought in a million years that'd be the last time that I got to see him," she said.

The family says having answers about what happened to Reco Williams won't fix the pain but will help them understand. They hope the person who hit him will come forward and talk to them since the police have not released further information.

Witnesses are asked to contact the Cincinnati Police Department's Traffic Unit at 513-352-2514.