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20-year-old man found dead along Route 5 in Enfield, victim of hit-and-run

ENFIELD – Enfield Police said a man’s body was found along Route 5 in the early morning hours Friday.  Police told FOX 61 the victim was killed in a...
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ENFIELD - Enfield Police said a man's body was found along Route 5 in the early morning hours Friday.  Police told FOX 61 the victim was killed in an apparent hit-and-run accident.

Enfield Police Chief Carl Sferrazza said Jeremy Mercier, 20, of Parsons Road was skateboarding at the time of the accident. He was headed to Enfield Square Mall to help a friend who had run out of gas.

A passerby found his body on the side of the road at around 1 a.m. Friday and called police. It is unclear how long Mercier had been there before he was spotted.

Police say he was hit so hard that the can of gasoline he had for his friend ended up on the other side of the road.

20-year-old man found dead along Route 5 in Enfield, victim of hit-and-run

Route 5 was closed near Orlando Drive and Post Office Road in Enfield for more than six hours Friday morning while police investigated and gathered evidence left behind by the driver.  Police cleared the scene and the road reopened just before 6:30 a.m.

"They're trained traffic reconstructionists. They analyze, document, photograph, collect all the evidence in the hopes that from the parts we'll be able to identify the car. We're just not there right now," said Chief Sferrazza.

Friends previously said Mercier was out at that hour because he was helping a friend whose car had broken down.

"That's the kind of friend he is. 1 o'clock in the morning, he's going to bring his best friend gas," said Sarah DeGray, who said Mercier was like a son to her. He had been staying at her home.

DeGray described Mercier as "hilarious. The most helpful person I think I've ever met for a kid that age."

A GoFundMe has been started to raise funds for Mercier's funeral.

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