‘Our lives are shattered’: Family of British man killed in Florida hit-and-run ‘desperate’ to bring body home

‘Our lives are shattered’: Family of British man killed in Florida hit-and-run ‘desperate’ to bring body home The family of Brandon Grimes are raising money to return his body to the UK - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in The family of a “beloved” British man who was killed in a suspected hit-and-run in the US have issued a desperate plea to return his body to the UK. Brandon Grimes, 26, died after he was struck by a car whose driver fled the scene on the Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Florida on 25 September. His family described him as a “gentle, bright, funny, and wonderful soul” and said their lives had been “shattered” by his sudden death. They have launched a fundraiser to help bring his body back to the UK and give him the “journey home he deserves”. In a message posted on GoFundMe, they said that while the driver still remains at large, their focus remains on bringing him back to his hometown of Seaham “so we can lay him to rest properly”. “Brandon was a gentle, bright, funny, and wonderful soul who brought so much light, love, and joy to everyone who knew him, he truly was the life and soul of the party,” they wrote on the fundraiser. “Our family is completely devastated, and the pain of losing him this way is something no family should ever have to bear. Our lives have been shattered, and we are completely lost without him.” They said that because the driver had fled the scene, the family have been left trying to process their “agonising grief” while battling the “overwhelming challenge” of seeking justice and repatriating his body. “The thought that the person responsible is out there hiding makes the pain even heavier,” they continued. “While the police investigation is active, our focus right now is entirely on bringing our boy home so we can lay him to rest properly and continue fighting for the justice Brandon deserves.” US media reported that Mr Grimes was struck after he ran into lanes of traffic on the West US Highway 192 on Friday morning. Police are reported to have seized a silver 2007-2010 Ford Edge with a black top as part of their investigation. Speaking to ChronicleLive, Mr Grimes’ partner David Jackson paid tribute and said a “lack of communication” from authorities in the US meant they were struggling to understand exactly what had happened. "He was a referee for the FA, and he loved football, Liverpool FC and England especially,” Mr Jackson said. “We had only been together since February, but we were making a lot of plans, and the future we were talking about won't happen now. "He has a huge family who have all been destroyed by this, with loads of siblings, and he loved them, his nieces, nana and grandad, and mam and step-dad so much. We are desperate to bring him back, and we are trying to find an international funeral director to help, but the lack of communication we have had from American makes this very difficult." Mr Grimes’ family have so far raised over £11,000 to help with his repatriation and funeral costs. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments