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Barber killed in hit-and-run crash; family wants driver to come forward

Buffalo Police officials say no one is in custody yet, but they're looking for a dark-colored, 4-door Mercedes-Benz that would have damage on the passenger side.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Profile Barber Shop on Bailey Avenue is where master barber Abayomi Olomo spent more than 25 years exceeding what was required of him in the job description. 

"He gave free haircuts to those who he probably felt couldn't afford it," said his sister, Brenda Washington. 

However, his once hustling and bustling station at the shop is now filled with silence and a bouquet of flowers in Olomo's place. 

Olomo rode his motorcycle home from work on Thursday evening. He almost made it. 

"He was at least five or six blocks away from his home," Washington said. 

Buffalo Police officials say when Olomo got to Genesee Street and Rapin Place around 9:30 p.m., a dark-colored, four-door Mercedes-Benz hit him and fled the scene.

Olomo was taken to Erie County Medical Center but died from internal injuries.  

"(It's) very traumatic. It's devastating," Washington said. "It's even more disappointing that someone would hit a person and then flee the scene."

Officers say no one is in custody yet.

Buffalo Police officials say the car they're looking for will have damage on the passenger side, including the doors, a missing side mirror, and possibly some deployed airbags. 

If anyone has information, they should call or text 716-847-2255.

While police hope the public can assist them in their search, it's Olomo's siblings who are pleading with the driver.

"Please come forward. Do the right thing and let the family have some closure," Washington said. 

As Olomo's family waits for that day, it's the stories of their brother and son, and all the good he did getting them through.  

"We're flooded with well wishes from friends, families, individuals we don't know," Washington said. "I didn't even know he knew that many people."

It's all because of a man who felt the need to do more whether he had someone in his barber chair or not.  

"He was a very kind, loving person. He would give anything to help someone out," Washington said. 

The best kind of neighbor a community could truly ask for. 

    

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