By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Tim Bennett remembers his brother Bill as a "good man who deserved better than being run down and left for dead."
Bennett, Elks Lodge 889's Citizen of the Year in 2003, was in Dowagiac Monday before flying back to California.
His brother, William H. Bennett II, 50, was killed by a vehicle which left the scene without stopping. The van and driver have not been found.
Bennett said Bill was struck Monday, Nov. 13, while crossing Edison Road in Indiana.
"He was a walker" and enjoyed eating at a Chinese restaurant in the strip mall there, Tim said.
Bill "volunteered to work the polls during elections. He had a great spirit to help others. His mother deserves to get some rest by knowing who killed her son. The Bennett family's interest is not prosecuting someone," Bennett said. "Our goal is to answer a few questions. Whoever steps forward, our family and friends will embrace them."
"I have served the Michiana community to the best of my ability for more than 15 years before moving to Los Angeles in early 2005," said Tim, who is a former master of ceremonies for Dowagiac's Christmas parade. "For the first time in my history of raising funds and awareness, I am asking for some help for my family."
Bennett said Bill died before arriving at the hospital.
He was hit by a GMC Savanna van traveling fast enough to knock him out of his shoes.
One shoe was found 100 yards from his body.
Bennett, a U.S. Navy veteran, saved Caruso's Candy Kitchen after a fire on Nov. 23, 2002, by assisting the store in making sweets at the Cass County Council on Aging, where he then worked.
He lived at Howard Park's ice rink for 11 days, leading a community effort to spare the South Bend, Ind., facility. Bennett in-line skated for 32 hours the first year and 36 continuous hours the following year to keep Camp Millhouse from closing.
He also spent 24 hours outside in jeans and a T-shirt on Veterans Day in 2003 and in 2004, collecting more than 1,000 coats which filled two vans for the veterans hospital.
Anyone with leads is asked to call Eugene Eyster at (574) 235-9263 or Crime Stoppers at 288-STOP.