- Kirk Walker and his cousin Rob McLaurin died in a fatal accident in Harlem
- The couple died on Saturday when a hit-and-run driver sped off in the wrong direction.
- Walker died hours before he was due to marry his fiancée.
A bride has been left devastated after her groom-to-be and his cousin were tragically killed by a hit-and-run driver just hours before her wedding.
Kirk Walker and his cousin, Rob McLaurin, were killed by a wrong-way driver on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Harlem in the early hours of Saturday morning as they returned from their bachelor party.
Walker, a 38-year-old father of three from Manhattan, was scheduled to marry his devastated fiancée Shauntea Weaver, 40, at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Royal Manor wedding venue in Garfield, New Jersey.
But Walker and McLaurin, 40, were killed when their Dodge Challenger was hit head-on by a pickup truck traveling the wrong way on the highway at 2:20 a.m.
Walker and McLaurin died at the scene of the horrific collision, which turned their car into a mangled mass of black and orange metal.
Kirk Walker (pictured, right) was set to marry his partner Shauntea Weaver (pictured) on Saturday.
Walker was killed alongside Rob McLaurin (pictured) as they returned from a bachelor party.
The couple tragically died at the scene of the accident in Harlem (pictured)
The driver reportedly fled the scene of the collision and has not been apprehended as of Monday. A passenger who was in the pickup truck was taken to a local hospital for treatment. At this time, it is not known if the passenger has been arrested or charged in connection with the crash.
A dejected Weaver told the New York Post: “He died 24 hours before our wedding. It’s devastating, and not just for me. He has three children who loved him immensely. They are heartbroken that their father has been taken away.”
“He was a very generous and hard-working man. He had a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone. He was a hard worker.”
The couple worked together in a successful car rental business, which Weaver said was thanks to her late fiancé’s dedication.
“He put his blood, sweat and tears into it; we both did.”
She says all she wants now is justice for Walker.
The couple worked at a successful car rental business they started together, which Weaver says was all thanks to her late fiancé’s dedication.
The driver reportedly fled the scene of the collision and has not been arrested as of Monday.
Father Kirk Walker Sr. said of the crash that killed his son and nephew: “My heart hurts so much and I’m so angry. I’m angry.”
At a vigil for the two men, Walker’s mother (pictured) was seen wearing a “mother of the groom” shirt, which she said she would have worn to her son’s wedding.
“Nothing will bring him back, but we are seeking justice. The detectives looked me in the face and said they would do everything they could to see that justice was done.
“I was told the driver left his DNA on the airbags. So they have it. Also, the passenger is in the hospital with broken legs and needs to talk.”
“Two lives were lost in a reckless traffic accident,” he continued. “They have to pay for killing two innocent people.”
During the vigil for the two men, Walker’s mother was seen wearing a “mother of the groom” shirt, which she said she would have worn to her son’s wedding.
“This is what we’re supposed to wear today… But they took my baby. He wanted this wedding so badly. And my nephew, they took my nephew too,” Susan Walker said.
Father Kirk Walker Sr. said: “My heart hurts so much and I’m so angry. I’m angry.”
He said he had a message for the hit-and-run driver: “I want them to see my face. I just want them to know this isn’t over. It’s not over.”