Pennsylvania man, Andrew Sofranko, was best man at ‘hero’ father’s Florida wedding before fatal Christmas hit-and-run

A Pennsylvania man was killed in a Christmas morning hit-and-run crash hours after serving as the best man for his father’s destination wedding in Florida.

Andrew Sofranko, 23, was crossing an intersection in Melbourne, Florida around 12:18 a.m. on Monday when a vehicle traveling north crashed into him and fled the scene.

Sofranko, a Handover Township, Pennsylvania native, was in the coastal city celebrating his father and stepmother’s marriage on Dec. 23.

First responders say they found Sofranko suffering life-threatening injuries and rushed him to Holmes Regional Medical Center a mile away, where he was pronounced dead a short time later, the Melbourne Police Department said in a statement.

“The physician said he likely died immediately upon impact,” Sofranko’s father, Douglas told WOFL. “He didn’t have a pulse when the paramedics got there.”

“There’s some very slight solace in the fact that he didn’t feel any pain, but it doesn’t really help the big picture.”

During his best man’s speech, Sofranko called his dad a hero and was thrilled to see his stepmother officially enter their family.

“Dad, you’ve been my hero and guide, and now seeing you take this step with such grace and happiness fills my heart with immense joy,” Sofranko said in a video shared to the outlet.

The newlyweds’ destination wedding and honeymoon plans quickly changed as they are now making funeral arrangements and waiting for their son’s killer to be identified.

“It went from basically a dream vacation to an absolute nightmare,” Douglas Sofranko said.

The heartbroken family says they are aware it was a white four-door, Chevrolet vehicle, and are hoping the driver comes forward.

“I can’t even imagine the amount of guilt that they must be feeling as well, so I’m hoping that they listen to their conscience and do the right thing so that we can get justice for Drew,” Sofranko’s stepmother Danell Sofranko told Fox 35 Orlando.

Sofranko was remembered by his family as being intelligent and a “very caring person who was always there for anyone who needed him.”

“He loved his family, football, video games and his friends,” and had plans to enlist in the US Navy next year with hopes of joining the Nuclear Field program, Sofanko’s uncle said in a GoFundMe fundraiser.

Following the fatal hit-and-run, a memorial was set up for Sofranko at the intersection where he was struck, with baskets of flowers and a sidewalk chalk art mural created in his memory.

Melbourne police are investigating the crash as a Traffic Homicide, but say it is unknown if any drugs or alcohol played a factor.