Editor:

I鈥檓 having a hard time believing I am typing these words right now.

On Thursday (July 7) I was fortunate enough to appear on the front page of the 91原创 Times with Missy, the brilliant, spirited three-year-old Yorkshire/Jack Russell Terrier mix (who, much to the delight of my family, looked incredibly suspicious of me in the accompanying photo).

Today, as if having woken in a sick alternate reality, I am writing this with the most broken of broken hearts: Missy died yesterday.

A combination of unusual and stressful circumstances left me stranded in Richmond for most of the day and well into the afternoon yesterday. Not used to leaving Missy alone for more than a few hours at a time, I called friends to visit our house and check on her. I still don鈥檛 understand exactly what transpired here, but at some point she ended up in traffic in front of our house, on Fraser Highway.

You need to understand that, in the months that Missy lived with us, she never once got close to any roads without a leash. She was petrified by traffic.

I was told later that, amidst the thick afternoon traffic, several people stopped their vehicles, and at least two got out of their cars to try and help wrangle the six pound fireball. At the intersection of Fraser Highway and 240 Street, Missy was struck and killed instantly by a westbound truck.

It was 4:43 p.m. on Friday, July 8. The driver did not stop.

The truck was described as a black, raised pickup driven by a male and headed toward 91原创 City on Fraser Highway. Given the stopped vehicles and people in the road, only a most oblivious driver would not be aware of what they did.

I know there were many witnesses to this tragedy, and if you are one of them, I am begging you for your help.

I welcome any information that might help us find some kind of closure over this loss of what was, essentially, our child.

You can do so through  a web page we have set up at www.wix.com/rozkromhoff/missy

I would also like help finding out the identity of the two people my friend called, 鈥渢he nicest couple in the world鈥� 鈥� the ones who helped calm him down and got him and Missy鈥檚 body safely back to our house. To everyone who helped that day, to anyone who stopped their cars that day or got out to help, I can鈥檛 thank you enough.

Even if you don鈥檛 believe in God, God bless you.  I am not much of a believer myself, but I do believe in Heaven and I take some comfort in knowing that Missy and grandpa are there, together again.

Rozlyn Kromhoff-Francis

91原创