FLORISSANT, Mo. (KMOV/Gray News) – A Navy veteran and his dog were killed in a hit-and-run while out on a walk in their neighborhood near St. Louis.
The crash happened in Florissant, Missouri on Saturday morning.
The Florissant Police Department responded to the call around 7 a.m. and found 62-year-old Rick Alsept and his dog lying in the road.
Neighbors said Alsept was a proud Navy veteran and frequently walked around the neighborhood with his little dog Chloe.
Red, white and blue flowers now mark the spot where they died.
“It was just tragic. I had a hard time composing myself,” said neighbor Kevin Jordan. “He’d walk around here every day, a few times a day. He’d take his dog out for a walk in the stroller, and he’d pick up trash and collect it, clean up the neighborhood, and everybody around here knew him. He was a really, super nice guy.”
Multiple signs are posted in the area urging drivers to slow down.
Jordan said speeding is a constant problem in the neighborhood, where the speed limit is 30 mph.
“I saw people saying things like speed bumps would help and stuff like that, but I don’t really know that for the most part, those would help,” he said. “I don’t know what the solution would be.”
Jordan said he will fondly remember his neighbor and hopes the driver who hit him will be brought to justice.
“It’s just sad for somebody to live their life like he did, see the things he saw and for this to happen, for him to die and go out like this, and for the person to run,” he said. “There’s just no excuse for it.”
This case is being investigated as a hit-and-run. On Monday, police announced the arrest of 29-year-old Alonzo Johnson, of Florissant.
Johnson is charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. He is being held at the St. Louis County Jail on a $50,000 bond.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family.
“Rick was a life-long Navy man and had settled into a quiet retirement. Anyone who spoke to him could tell you that he had two great loves in his life – the Navy and his children,” his son wrote on the page.
Alsept is survived by his three children.
Anyone with further information is encouraged to contact the Florissant Police Department at 314-831-7000.
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