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                                                                                                    105 Main St. E. Suite 503
                                                                                                    Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 1Q6
                                                                                                    (905) 526-9469
                                                                                                    (905) 526- 9590
Collins
Investigation
Services Inc.

Fatal Hit And Run

Shortly before 3:00 a.m. on Saturday 20 June 1998, Troy Armstrong, twenty-three, of Dunnville, was a passenger is a vehicle operated by Dale Sammon, twenty-one, of Lowbanks. They were stopped for a red light in the southbound turning lane of 20 Highway at 53 Highway in Stoney Creek, when, according to Mr. Sammon, their vehicle was bumped from behind by a pick up truck.

As Armstrong and Sammon left the vehical, the pickup backed up then pulling around Sammon's vehicle where it struck Armstrong, knocking him to the ground then ran over him killing him instantly.

To date, no arrest has been made and no trace of the vehicle has been found, so Don Armstrong, Troy's father, hired Hamilton private investigator Bob Rankin of Collins Investigation Services to conduct an independent investigation.

Mr. Rankin, a former investigator with the Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Police Service, said, "This case is still solvable. All we need is a break. Don was very close to his son and needs to attain closure."

The investigation so far keeps leaning towards the rural areas near Smithville, Caistor Centre and Dunnville.

"A witness at the scene," Rankin said, "saw the vehicle travelling east on 20 Highway after it struck Troy, another driver who was heading west on 20 Highway saw a similar vehicle being driven erratically in the opposite direction about a half mile or so from the scene of the collision and, within an hour of the incident, a third witness who was driving north on the Caistor/Gainsboro Townline Road from Attercliffe, saw a similar vehicle being driven erratically towards Attercliffe.

"The sighting of these three vehicles are too much of a coincidence to be dismissed out of hand, so we are focusing many of our enquiries in that area in an effort to locate the vehicle."

Conflicting descriptions have been given of the vehicle which was a light coloured - possibly white, off-white or cream - pickup truck, possibly a late 70's, early 80's model and possibly a Ford. It had large west coast style mirrors on either side. The mirror on the driver's side was damaged during the collision and may have been replaced. It was either a flat bed or had a box but did have wooden racks which were blue, even with the roof of the cab and rattled as the vehicle moved. It didn't have a tailgate. On at least the passenger side and likely both, some sort of sign had been attached to the racks near the cab. The driver was described as being in his 30's with dark shoulder-length hair and muscular arms.

"I think," says Rankin, "that the driver, worked as some sort of farm labourer or odd-job man and panicked when the media reported Troy had died. He may have left suddenly or made changes to the vehicle." Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Police at (905) 546-4753, their local police service, Crimestoppers or Bob Rankin at (905) 526-9469.

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