Loved ones remember 86-year-old DHS man who was killed in a hit-and-run crash

Loved ones are remembering 86-year-old Paul Heaton, who was killed in a hit-and-run crash over the weekend in Desert Hot Springs.

“Pete was always nice, always giving, always making somebody laugh," said Eugene Sanchez of Desert Hot Springs.

Sanchez met Heaton at Playoffs Bar in Desert Hot Springs, where they shared stories for years.

“I’ve known Pete for over 10-12 years now. I met him here locally, he’s a veteran. I was his bartender for a couple of years.”

Sanchez says his energy was infectious, and was known around the community.

“He’s DHS famous, everybody knew Pete. If he was here, at the State Bros parking lot, down the street. Everybody knew Pete and for this to happen – I have no words," said Sanchez.

Police say Heaton was at a bus stop on Palm Drive and Hacienda Avenue on Saturday at 12:30pm. A black Jeep Latitude was headed northbound on Palm Drive when it drove onto the sidewalk and struck Heaton before fleeing the scene.

Heaton died at the scene.

The driver, a 33-year-old Desert Hot springs woman, was arrested for hit and run causing death.

“When they go so tragically is so horrific like that, like, my first thought is… I hope he didn't see it coming. And I hope he didn't suffer. But, I mean, I'll never know," said Heaton's daughter, Jayne Isidro.

Isidro was heartbroken when she got the phone call that his life was cut short, after being struck by a driver.

“You took a life. You took somebody away from us as very important to us, and we can't have him back. We can't, we wouldn't even get to say goodbye," she said.

Isidro said Heaton was proud to be U.S. Navy veteran.

“He got all his military stories and all kinds of all kinds of stories. And he's just a friendly guy. Like, he'll talk to anybody. He's always been like that.”

Growing up, he was there for her every step of the way.

"For a man at that time in the 70s, it was it was pretty rare for somebody to say 'okay, I'm gonna be a single dad', you know," she explained. "He was a good dad. Like an awesome dad. I couldn't have asked for a better dad, ever.”

Isidro tells us she’ll miss her dad’s outgoing energy the most.

“I just miss him. Miss his goofy ways of talking. And like, he would just make you laugh... I mean, you can be sad, and he'll say something and you'll start laughing. And it was great to have somebody like that," she said.

If you'd like to help, a GoFundMe has been created to help with the funds for Heaton's cremation and burial at the National Memorial Cemetery.

The driver was later booked at the Riverside County Sheriff's Benoit Detention Center in Indio. She is set to be arraigned on Wednesday.