Months after a deceased male was found on a roadway north of Chatham, provincial police have publicly identified him.
Chatham resident Matthew Hewer, 41, was found on Highway 40 between Pine and Eberts lines, north of Chatham, on Sept. 19, provincial police said Nov. 23. Police have deemed it a hit-and-run.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen a northbound white hatchback passenger vehicle or an individual walking in the area between 5:30 am and 6:30 am on the day the body was found to contact them.
Early in the investigation, OPP Const. Ed Sanchuk encouraged anyone with information or who may have been in the area to come forward to help police.
“You may have a piece of this puzzle that we are looking for,” he said. “So please pick up that phone and contact investigators.”
Anyone with information can contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122 or their nearest police authority.
In an online obituary, Hewer was mourned as the beloved son of Wayne and Jeanette and the brother of Melissa Aitken. He was remembered as a passionate hockey player as a youth in Chatham and it was noted he “loved his work” as an educational assistant with young people.
“Your kindness and ability to make me laugh even on my worst days is something I will always remember,” one friend wrote in an online tribute.