Virginia

Friends Speak Out After Man Killed in Hit-and-Run

Joey Lanza was struck while trying to flag a driver to slow down, his friends say

NBC Universal, Inc.

Friends are mourning a man who was struck and killed over the weekend by a hit-and-run driver in Virginia.

Joey Lanza, of Lorton, cared about the safety of his community, his friends told News4.

“It really bothered him when people come flying past the house with his dog outside he was always telling people to slow down,” Lanza's close friend Will Casciano said. 

Lanza, 28, was trying to get the driver to slow down from the side of the road before he was struck and killed. 

Last year, Fairfax County 16 pedestrians died in crashes. Now, two months into 2020, Lanza is the seventh pedestrian to die so far this year. 

Investigators said they found the driver and the car involved in the crash. Police have not identified the person of interest.

Lanza's friends say he sacrificed his life to try and protect others.

“I think he would have done it all over again if it meant to get someone to understand that you’re gonna kill somebody. Unfortunately, it took his life,” said Cheryl Majewski, a friend of Lanza’s.

Contact Us