Ronald Cartagena remembers his sister Dina, the victim of a deadly hit-and-run

Dina Cartagena was a mother, sister, and friend before she was killed when a driver hit her and took off.

On Thursday, Cartagena’s brother, Ronald Cartagena, spoke with WINK News about the tragic events and what he’s going through.

He’s both sad and angry the driver that killed his sister is on the loose. A hole in the wall of the house remains as a cold, indifferent reminder that Cartagena won’t ever come home.

Work does not feel the same for Ronald, and it might never again.

Ronald said we just can’t believe it. Dina would have been working by Ronald’s side on Thursday, helping him install tiles and laughing while they worked.

Ronald explained it’s like a nightmare he can’t wake up from. Dina Cartagena, 24, a mother of three, was holding a friend’s baby while sitting on the porch in front of her Delta Street home in Lee County with family and friends.

A white van parked in front, and when someone asked the driver to move the vehicle, witnesses said the driver got angry and drove the van into the driveway, crashing through a table and pinning Dina against a wall. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ronald said the driver ran away. But he’s still on the loose. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office told WINK News that deputies have been in touch with the family and are working on the case, but there is no word on a suspect.

In the meantime, Ronald said he still sees his sister. It’s as if she’s still right by his side.

The family buried Dina in their native Honduras last Saturday. A painful goodbye for her parents who she didn’t see for the last five years of her life. When Dina came to the United States she hoped for a better life.