ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOV.com) – The family of a North St. Louis County man seriously injured in a hit-and-run earlier this month is offering a reward for information.

James West, 73, was struck while walking westbound along the eastbound lanes in the 9700 block of St. Charles Rock Road on Feb. 9. The collision happened around 11:35 p.m., leaving West seriously injured.

“I was flagged down by a young woman who had observed the victim lying on the street,” Breckenridge Hills Police Department Lt. Mitch Armer said. “She didn’t know what happened, she just said there was a person lying in the street.”

Armer said West lived nearby and was returning home after taking a trip to a nearby gas station. He was seen walking in surveillance video on the shoulder of the eastbound lanes. Then, a four-door passenger car hit West and drove off, with West landing in a nearby pile of snow.

Armer said based on the video that eight cars, including one immediately behind the car that hit West, continued ahead of him until someone stopped and called for help.

“When we got there, it was obvious he had been hit by a car,” Lt. Armer said. “His upper body was in the shoulder and his lower body was still in the outside traffic lane.”

West was rushed to hospital where his sister tells News 4 he spent nearly a week in intensive care suffering from various fractures and cuts. He was seriously injured in the head and face.

Police need the public’s help in locating the vehicle that hit West. They believe it is a red Mazda 3 from 2010 to 2013. It has damage to the right front passenger’s bumper and mirror.

“We’re asking the public to think about it and let us know,” Lt. Armer said. “Have you seen anyone you know not driving their car lately? Or a car with that kind of front end damage? Let us know and we’ll check it out.”

Police believe that, based on surveillance video and car parts located at the scene, the plastic coating on the right turn signal has broken off. The turn signal and headlights still work, they said.

“If the driver had stopped the vehicle at that time, we would have assessed the situation and it is likely that the driver would not have suffered any consequences,” Armer said. “But when they decided to leave, that changed for the driver.”

Police believe West was walking on the shoulder of the roadway because the snow had not been cleared from the sidewalk.

West’s family describe the 73-year-old as a generous man, who often took in those in need of accommodation. He will now need intensive medical care and rehabilitation.

The family is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the driver’s arrest.