The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FOUR months have passed since 55-year-old Doyle Russell was tragically killed in a hit-and-run on Madeira Street, leaving his family devastated and desperate for answers about who robbed him of his life.

Simone Russell, Russell’s daughter, described the ordeal as deeply distressing, emphasising the lack of information about the person responsible for her father’s death. She expressed frustration that her father was left to die without the basic dignity every human deserves, stressing she wanted better for him. She added that the holiday season was particularly painful, as her father’s absence weighed heavily on her and her children, who miss their grandfather deeply.

“It’s unfair,” Ms Russell said emotionally. “Every day, my kids are talking about him, but I don’t know what to say to them. I only can try comfort them the best way possible.” 

“They just contemplate that if they would have spent more time or if they could just see him.” 

The incident occurred on September 25, 2024. Traffic officers said Russell seemed to be lying in the eastbound lane on Madeira Street when he was struck by a red vehicle, believed to be a Ford Mustang, travelling east along the same corridor. The driver failed to remain stationary. 

Russell had lived on Madeira Street for ten years and was living alone at the time of his death. He earned a living selling coconuts and was known to visit friends in the neighbourhood, always returning home by 9pm. His family expressed disbelief that he would be out late and questioned why he was lying in the street.

Ms Russell said the police have provided no updates since the incident, and no one has been charged in connection with her father’s death. She said the only detail shared was that the vehicle involved had no licence plates. She pointed out that businesses with surveillance cameras surround Madeira Street, yet identifying the suspect has proven difficult. 

Ms Russell stressed that she is unsatisfied with police efforts in investigating her father’s death. She said there’s been no clear communication from police despite her family’s efforts to get answers.

“I just want a better solution so we could get peace in the situation and closure,” he said.