The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A FAMILY says a man was left to die like an animal on a dark roadway in New Providence — and they are now pleading for the driver who struck him to come forward and face what they did.

Dominic Archer Brown, 48, died Monday night from injuries suffered after he was hit by a vehicle while crossing Robinson Road on Sunday evening.

His cousin, Alicetine Johnson-Francis, said the driver never stopped.

“He’s a human being, and he has people who love him — he’s not an animal,” Ms Johnson-Francis, 53, said, as she appealed for the person responsible to come forward and give the family closure.

Ms Johnson-Francis said she learned of her cousin’s death through a family member and has been overwhelmed by grief since. She said Archer Brown, known as “Dommy” to relatives and friends, did not deserve to die the way he did.

“We need the person who was responsible for this to come forward,” she said. “Please come forward and give my family closure. He didn’t deserve to die the way he died.”

In a Facebook post, Ms Johnson-Francis described her cousin as a devoted father of a 25-year-old and said he suffered spinal injuries and bleeding on the brain before succumbing to his injuries. She also called for a full investigation and urged the driver to confront their actions.

“Where is your heart? How can you live with yourself? Please come forward and face your actions,” she wrote.

She thanked the person who stopped to help Archer Brown and contacted family members, saying that the intervention ensured the family knew what had happened.

Ms Johnson-Francis also appealed to police to conduct a thorough investigation and urged members of the public to assist if they have information, particularly anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has surveillance cameras along Robinson Road.

She said the family has received an outpouring of messages and phone calls, describing widespread shock among those who knew her cousin. Some people, she said, questioned why news of the incident did not surface sooner.

Ms Johnson-Francis, who lives in Maryland in the United States, said she and Mr Archer Brown grew up in the same household and were as close as siblings.

“I cried from when I heard this. I wasn’t eating. I couldn’t work. I just wasn’t myself,” she said.

According to her account, Archer Brown spent part of Sunday with her daughter. When he was unable to secure a ride home, he began walking.

Police said in a report issued Tuesday afternoon that the incident occurred shortly after 8pm on Sunday near Robinson Road and Eighth Street in the Grove, where Archer Brown was attempting to cross the road when he was struck by a vehicle. Emergency Medical Services transported him to the hospital, where he later died around 8pm on Monday.

Ms Johnson-Francis said the family was initially unable to confirm whether authorities were aware of the incident. She said her daughter called 919 and was told there was no record of the accident at the time and was advised to report the matter to Road Traffic the following morning.

She questioned why the incident was not logged earlier, arguing that faster reporting could have helped locate the driver involved.

Archer Brown, a construction worker and handyman, was described as friendly, social and deeply family-oriented. Ms Johnson-Francis said he had been making plans for the future, including visiting his daughter and travelling to spend time with relatives.

“He had plans. He had a full life,” she said.

Police said no witnesses or vehicle description have been identified at this stage, and investigations are continuing.