DoorDash delivery worker killed in hit-and-run was supporting extended family
A DoorDash delivery driver who was killed Sunday night in a hit-and-run accident in New York City was extremely hard-working and providing for his larger extended family, his daughter said.
“All he ever wanted was to make us happy and wanted us to live our lives,” Anh Tran, 25, told NBC News. "He never asked for much.”
Be Tran, 74, of the Queens borough, was finishing up a delivery run when a black BMW slammed into him while he was crossing the street last weekend, according to police. He was left to die on the street as the vehicle fled the scene, police said.
The New York City Police Department's Highway Collision Investigation Squad said it’s investigating and the search is still on for the driver.
Anh, who lives in Flushing, Queens, and works in marketing, said the last time she saw her father, she made him one of his favorite meals. She recalled they spent the night eating dinner, drinking wine and talking.
“I never would’ve thought it was the last time I’d see him,” she said. “I know he’s up there watching over us.”
Her father’s death comes ahead of her wedding next year. Before the tragedy, she said, she had been asking friends what song she should play during the father-daughter dance.
“Always dreamt that he would walk me down the aisle during my wedding in 2023,” she said. “But now that has been taken away from me.”
Prior to the crash, the victim’s daughters said their father was saving up money to visit his birthplace of Vietnam. In the past, Tran was sending money, medicines and other items to his family members there.
Anh’s parents separated when she was a teenager. She said her father often struggled as a single parent.
“We would eat McDonald’s in the dark with the candle flickering in the background,” she said, recalling the time her father could not afford to pay the electricity bill. “And he would always tell me he's a strong father, we’ll get through this.”
Still, Tran continued to provide for his family even while he coped with injuries he sustained fighting in the Vietnam War, she said. When Tran moved to the United States, he opened a garment manufacturing company and later retired. He lived with his two daughters and granddaughter.
“My dad's work ethic is like no other,” Anh said. “Family was always his No. 1 priority and motivation.”
A spokesperson for DoorDash shared a message of support for the victim’s family.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy and our thoughts are with his loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We are reaching out to his loved ones to extend our deepest condolences and offer our support. We are assisting law enforcement with their investigation and hope those responsible for this horrible crime are brought to justice.”
The family has also set up a GoFundMe to pay for Tran's funeral. To date, they have raised more than $37,000 in donations.
“We are incredibly overwhelmed and grateful for the support we have been receiving,” Anh wrote in a post Aug. 16. “Your words have brought tears to our eyes and we’re glad my dad brought everyone together one final time. I am hopeful justice will come of this situation as he deserves to rest peacefully knowing his daughters have closure of the situation.”
Anh wants her dad to be remembered as not only a father, brother and grandfather, but also one of her biggest supporters. Looking back on his life, she said, raising a teenager alone was not easy — but he always made the sacrifice out of love.
“He did the best he could to provide as a father,” she said. “He was my everything."
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
