RACINE, Wis. — Racine police continue to investigate a hit-and-run that left a man in critical condition after a crash Friday night on Washington Avenue in Uptown Racine.
Police say it happened at about 7 p.m. in the 1300 block, as 48-year-old Gib Rangel was walking across the street.
Watch this video to hear from the family of Gib Rangel:
As of Tuesday, police had yet to make an arrest, but Racine Police Department Sgt. Alicia Mitchell said, "We have a vehicle and person of interest that we are looking for."
However, Mitchell was not able to share details "in the interest of the investigation."
Rangel had undergone multiple surgeries and remained sedated as of Tuesday.
His family said the man they know as a brother, son and uncle has a long recovery ahead, describing the situation as a "nightmare."
"Today, they're taking him for multiple surgeries again," Mary Nava, Rangel's mother, said on Tuesday.
The family has spent days waiting for any signs of progress as they drive between Racine and Froedert.
"How long is it going to take before he responds? At least so that we know he knows we're here," Mary said.
As they wait, they're working to understand what happened Friday night.
"Right now, we're still lost and confused to try to figure out the pieces on our own," said Angelina Nava, Rangel's sister.
As the family hopes for more information, they're asking anyone with details to come forward.
"If you've seen a little bit of anything, it would help. It would definitely help," Domi Ramos, a member of Rangel's family, said.
The family is also rallying the community around Rangel.
"We're all hurting from this. Gibby was well known in the community; really, really loved by so many people," Ramos said.
His mother described him as very outgoing and said that he gets along with everybody.
"Doesn't have a bad bone in his body," she said.
"Gibby could make the whole room laugh, and there was just no way you didn't like Gib," Angelina added.
The family has started a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses and is holding a fundraiser at La Esquina Del Barrio, 1518 Washington Ave., from 3-11 p.m., on Nov. 14.
"There's going to be a lot of financial issues with this. He's going to have numerous bills in the future. So we just want to make sure that we can help out as much as we can," Ramos said.
The family said they're already feeling support from the Racine community as they rally for Gib's ongoing recovery.
"Just keep praying, and then hope for the best," Mary said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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