Local Readers - Can You Help?

The Beaverton Police Department Needs Your Help Locating a Suspect Involved In a Fatal Hit and Run

On January 15, 2013 at approximately 7:57 p.m. Beaverton Police Officers were dispatched to the area of SW Laurelwood Ave and SW Homewood St. on a report of an adult male face down on the roadway.

When officers arrived on scene they determined that the subject down on the edge of the roadway was deceased and was an 18 year old male. He was identified as Harley David Rocher of Aloha.

Harley's driver's license photo

From the evidence gathered it is clear that this was a hit and run involving a vehicle. This incident is currently being investigated by Beaverton Police Officers and members of the Washington County Crash Analysis Reconstruction Team (CART).

At this time the Beaverton Police Department does not have information on the suspect vehicle or the suspect. This is where we need your help in locating and identifying the person responsible for Harley Rocher’s death.

The suspect vehicle should have significant damage and it is unknown at this time the exact location of the damage.

The attached photo is of Harley Rocher, please help us find the person responsible for his death.
If you have any information that will help us identify the suspect and help Harley’s family please call the Beaverton Police Department at (503) 629-0111

Here is what I know that might help....

My husband used to work in the area of Laurelwood Ave--about four minutes drive north at Raleigh Park Elementary School. My mom also received a ticket on Laurelwood about a year before her death (1997 or 98) thanks to the, at that time, new photo radar system in Beaverton. From this, it's clear that cars drive too fast on this road--considering it must have been one of the first to have been monitored by this new system. Also, from what I'm recalling, there is no sidewalk there. Laurelwood has a signal light at Scholls Ferry and is the connecting street to Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway where there is another stoplight.

Forgive me for making a lot of assumptions, but I believe Harley was probably just off of work and had just gotten off a bus to head home. Harley wasn't a little guy. It's been awhile since I've seen him, but if I recall, he was over 6 foot. In order for a car to hit and kill him, that car couldn't have driven away without some MAJOR damage.

Personally, if I were ever, heaven forbid, in the shoes of this driver, I'd be FREAKING OUT! I mean, seriously, what would you do? Of course, ideally you'd get on the phone and dial 9-1-1 and sit tight, but Laurelwood doesn't give you much of a place to pull over. And...let's all admit it, although this was, I'm assuming again, unintentional, we never know how the law will impact us. I'm sure this driver is scared.

A similar situation happened a few years ago in our area, and the driver said he knew he'd hit something but wasn't sure what because it was dark and rainy. I'm not sure if it was raining on the night Harley was hit, but it was definitely dark and Laurelwood is a poorly lit street. To hit someone as tall as Harley was and not know it would be nearly impossible.

I hope, more for the driver's sake than anything else, that he/she is found or turns him/herself in. How terrible to go through life with this on your conscience. If you know anything, please contact the number above.