Oakhurst – Eben Hammond’s life was cut short—needlessly and recklessly—on July 7, 2021. He enjoyed a life full of promise, so much talent in one young man, beloved by many.
It’s clear that the perpetrator of the crime (and, yes, it was most definitely a crime) has no intention of turning him or herself in. It will always be a tragedy, but it might not have been a crime if you’d done the honorable thing and stopped.
There’s no way someone up here doesn’t know something.
Someone saw extensive damage to a vehicle that did not bear that damage before around midnight July 7.
Someone saw a friend or family member acting strange, evasive, hiding that telltale vehicle.
But if you’re the someone that saw something and chose not to say something—you are also aiding a crime, albeit perhaps unknowingly. If you saw something, say something. It’s the right thing to do.
Surely the driver didn’t intend to mow Eben down. That’s bad enough, of course. But the driver didn’t even stop to see who or what was hit and to render any aid possible. That driver left Eben to die in the street.
If you think back on that evening or the days following and realize you might have seen something that could be helpful, get in touch with Crimestoppers at 559/498-STOP (7867). You don’t have to give your name. That’s right, you can remain anonymous. You can also contact Officer Finfrock at the Oakhurst CHP office, 559/658-6590.
As a reminder, the vehicle has been variously described as a larger SUV, possibly a Jeep or Toyota 4Runner, dark in color, with round yellow headlights in the front and rectangular taillights. The second description indicates that the vehicle of interest could resemble that of a smaller SUV, station wagon or crossover-type and could be white, silver or possibly two-toned.
Expect either vehicle to have extensive windshield and hood/front damage.
If it isn’t enough to do the right thing for Eben, there’s always the reward of $9,000 to act as a motivator.
Think of this: Next time it could be your child, your parent, a friend.
Please share this article and the reward poster far and wide on your social media platforms.
It’s the least we can do for Eben.
