For 27 years, Carolyn and Steve Mitchell had been inseparable.

And in one of the few times they weren’t together, Carolyn lost her husband to a hit-and-run driver.

“Show me you got a heart and I can forgive you,” Carolyn Mitchell said to the wanted driver, her voice trembling as she fought through tears in an interview with Channel 2 Action News.

Steve Mitchell, 68, was traveling southbound on Ga. 85 in Fayette County on Saturday when a black SUV caused his car and a second vehicle to collide, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Allen Stevens said.

Mitchell, a grandfather, was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center, where he died Sunday.

“He meant something to a lot of people, not just myself,” Carolyn told Channel 2.

As authorities search for the driver, Carolyn is left wondering: “Once you hurt somebody, how is it that you don’t care?”

In other news: 

Grant and Ada Triebner died within hours of each other on their Canadian farm. Grant was found dead after a fatal "medical event" in a barn on his property. Ada stepped out of her farmhouse and looked for him in 14-degree weather. Police said she died of exposure to the cold. Friends and family called the couple "kind" and "resilient."

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC