Family members gathered at the scene of the accident to mourn and pray for their loved one Friday.
Sims was hit as he was riding his bicycle earlier this week in suburban Ford Heights on Cottage Grove near 11th Street. He was on his way to his cousin's home Tuesday evening when he was struck by a vehicle, knocked off his bike and left on the side of the road .
"I hope whoever did this, whoever ran him down, please come forward because he edid have a family. It's not right. He could have been savedI hope they turn themselves in. It just did not happen. It was deliberate," said Bernadette Dismukes, the victim's ex-wife.
At approximately 9 p.m., a concerned citizen saw Sims on the side of the road and alerted authorities. Sims was eventually transported to Christ hospital where he died from the injuries sustained in the hit-and-run accident.
"He was on his way to my niece's house and he was hit and just left there," Dismukes said.
"It's just hard to see that someone would just leave him there," said the victim's daughter, Katie Lewis. "He was wonderful."
Family members say Sims was a loving father and grandfather who loved life to the fullest and whom everyone adored.
"Anything I needed, he was there for me," Lewis said. "He was on his way to my cousin's house to help her."
The Cook County sheriff says evidence found at the scene indicates that the vehicle involved in the accident is a 1996 to 2002 Chevrolet van. However, the color of the vehicle is unknown.
"Someone had to see something," Dismukes said.
"Whoever did this, I hope they come forward. Turn yourself in," said the victim's brother, Raymond Sinclare.
The Cook County sheriff's police are asking for the public's assistance for information related to the fatal hit and run accident.
Mr. Sims 's funeral will be next Saturday at Christ Temple II funeral home in Ford Heights at 10 a.m.
