It's been exactly four years since the hit-and-run death of a Marine along U.S. 60 near Higley Road in Mesa. His family continues to look for justice.
"I put these signs here, so people who are walking can look at the sign and see his name,” said Nora Garcia.
And, that is what keeps Nora Garcia on her journey to seek justice for her brother Josh Garcia. He was killed in a hit-and-run.
"For the first few years, I was just so lost. I didn't know what to do or where to place my grief,” added Garcia.
Garcia struggled to find the appropriate emotion. But, four years later, the mix of emotions propels her advocacy.
"I feel like I can focus more on just reminding drivers how important it is to drive safely,” added Garcia.
Back on November 16, 2018, troopers identified 21-year-old Josh Garcia as the person hit and killed by a car along U.S. 60 near Higley Road in Mesa.
Investigators believe the Marine dozed off behind the wheel of a work truck, hit an abandoned car, and was thrown onto the road. Soon after, DPS says another vehicle crashed into him and kept on going.
"I'll always wonder if that second part of the accident had not happened, could he have pulled through or could we have at least said goodbye to him,” added Garcia.
The Operation Safe Roads team pulled numbers for the number of crashes involving pedestrians since 2018.
The Arizona Department of Transportation counted 1,787 crashes which killed 245 pedestrians. In 2019,1,864 crashes killed 218. In 2020, there were 1,530 crashes accounting for 235 pedestrian deaths. And, last year, the state tracked 1,714 crashes which killed 257 pedestrians.
"The pattern that I have been able to notice, at least, it is always worse this time of year it seems. Maybe because it is close to my brother's anniversary, so I notice,” added Garcia.
Garcia has placed these cups, spelling her brother's name, on an overpass each year since he's been gone. Two of the years, the cups were near the crash site and about a half-mile away the other two years. All of this, Garcia says, was for one reason.
"I want them to remember Josh and know that anybody could have been in Josh's shoes,” added Garcia.
DPS says Josh Garcia's case remains unsolved.