Victim’s father in unsolved fatal hit-and-run case to honor son in a special way
SHELBY COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) – Along the Flat Rock River near State Road 252, Joshua Turner’s family made memories they’ll always cherish.
“We’re big outdoors people,” he said. “It’s a special spot for us.” He said his son, Joshua Nathan Turner, felt the same way.
“No matter what, if it was to have a good time or just to go and think, (we) would come to the river,” he said.
Sadly those trips to these banks are now happening without him. “I miss him. I miss my son,” he said.
A short drive from the river is the memorial created for his son.
It’s right next to the spot along State Road 9 where investigators say a driver hit Turner’s son at high speed, killing him instantly.
“I’m at peace with what happened. He’s in a better place. And I just want to be able to move on and I can’t fully move on,”
Turner said that’s partly because investigators haven’t caught the driver responsible, let alone released any vehicle descriptions. He’s even visited the homes near the scene, asking questions to whoever might have seen something the night his son was hit.
“Just trying to figure out, put pieces together for myself and for my closure, too,” he said.
Trips to the river help that process, especially this coming weekend. Turner’s family, as well as some relatives, plan to spread his son’s ashes in the water.
“(The) river’s full of life and Nathan was too, and that’s another special reason why I think he would want to be along the river,” he said.
With that he’ll create a new memory along the banks he can share with his son every time he comes to visit.
“I just don’t want him to ever be forgotten and I’m going to do everything I can to make his name live on,” he said.
Turner’s family planned a benefit ride for him Saturday, October 1st at the Clay Township Fire Department in Columbus. It starts at 9:00 am and the money raised will help pay for a memorial stone for Turner’s son that will be placed at the Flat Rock Cemetery.
Anyone with information that can help investigators solve the case can call the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at 317-398-6661.