ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is still looking for leads nearly a month after a Lake Orion man was killed in a hit-and-run.
They say the suspect was going northbound on Lapeer Road near Waldon Road and hit a road sign. Deputies say the sign went flying into Tom Schleicher's windshield.
The victim's wife, Stephanie Schleicher, expects answers by now and finds it hard to believe nobody knows who did this.
"I think being a husband and father was what brought him more joy than anything," Stephanie Schleicher said.
She says she married Tom Schleicher in 2017. They welcomed their baby boy nearly a year ago and were just starting to get a hang of the whole parenting thing.
"It's hard the first, you know, year really because you have to pack up so many things every time you leave the house, but we were really starting to get out more and do a lot more stuff," Stephanie Schleicher said.
On days they had work, the baby went to day care, according to Stephanie Schleicher. Tom Schleicher always handled drop-off, and the morning of Feb. 21 was no different.
"He kissed me goodbye and said I love you like he does every day, and I found out later the accident happened just within minutes of dropping off our son," Stephanie Schleicher said.
It was the last "I love you" she would hear from him.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, when the sign hit Tom Schleicher's car, he veered off and eventually stopped against a tree on Waldon Road.
He was admitted to Beaumont Hospital.
"We were waiting on a lot of test results and things like that. We were able to make the decision and go off life support and he was able to donate some of his organs," Stephanie Schleicher said.
She says her husband was always so generous and so happy. It makes sense that he was a registered organ donor.
He's gone now and at times, she says it feels surreal.
Finding the person responsible won't bring him back, but Stephanie Schleicher hopes it will help the family move on.
"I lost my husband. And my son will never know his dad because of what you did and I just want you to come forward and take responsibility," Stephanie Schleicher said.
Investigators say there is a possibility the driver hit the sign and didn't realize it went flying into another car.
Nonetheless, they say, the family deserves closure.
Police say the driver was likely in a gray or silver Kia Optima, possibly a model between 2013 and 2015. They say it may have damage to the front end and a crease in the hood.
If you have any information, call police at 248-858-4950.
