The grieving family of 43-year-old Ryan Basden, a father of six killed in a July 9 hit-and-run in Nassau Village, is publicly calling on law enforcement to secure and analyze all local surveillance footage from the crash site on Taylor Street, saying this evidence could lead to the identification of the driver who left Basden dying on the pavement and fled the scene. The tragedy occurred just one day before The Bahamas’ annual Independence Day celebration, deepening the family’s pain as they continue to search for answers more than a week after the incident.
Police official accounts confirm that Basden was attempting to cross Taylor Street when a gray Jeep with oversized custom rims struck him, and the driver immediately left the crash site rather than stopping to provide aid. Investigators have not yet located the suspect vehicle or its driver, leaving the case unresolved.
In an emotional press appeal, Kendrick Antonio Smith, Basden’s 47-year-old brother, explained that he conducted his own door-to-door canvassing of nearby residents in the days after the crash, and confirmed that the entire crash area is covered by multiple private and public surveillance cameras. However, Smith claims that investigators have not yet interviewed several witnesses who heard the collision and saw the suspect vehicle speed away from the scene.
“There are more than 20 cameras pointing at this stretch of road, and someone out there has footage that can solve this,” Smith said emotionally. “Right now, no one from law enforcement has come to collect that footage, and we are stuck without answers. All I am asking is that the proper authorities reach out to local residents, request access to the recordings, and review them to get a clear look at the license plate and the people inside the vehicle. That footage can track when the car entered Nassau Village, where it came from, and where it went after the crash. I should not have to do police work myself to get justice for my brother.”
Smith added that multiple local residents witnessed the crash: one neighbor was outside when the collision happened, and others reported seeing the Jeep flee after striking Basden. He also directly appealed to the hit-and-run driver to turn themselves in to authorities.
“If you have any decency, please turn yourself in. That is all I ask,” Smith said.
Family members described Basden as a well-known, hardworking member of the Nassau Village community who regularly volunteered to help neighbors, often worked alongside local elected officials on community projects, and was almost always seen with a smile. A loving father to five daughters and one son, Basden had never been involved in neighborhood conflict and was dedicated to building a stable, better life for his children.
Stephen Basden, 51, another of Ryan’s brothers, remembered his sibling as a loving, caring person who prioritized his family above all else. “We just want closure. We want to be able to grieve and know that justice has been done,” Stephen Basden said. “I don’t show my sadness outwardly, but it is there, deep inside. If there is something being hidden, this is not right. Ryan always believed in ‘one love’ — that is all we ask for now, fairness and unity to get answers.”
Stephen Basden shared that he first learned of the crash via a WhatsApp status update about a fatal hit-and-run, but initially did not realize the victim was his brother, until a cousin confirmed the devastating news. “When my cousin told me Ryan was gone, it hit me like a wave,” he recalled. “It was an awful feeling, none of us ever expected he would die this way.” He added that his brother regularly checked in on him and would stop by for a visit whenever he was in the neighborhood.
The timing of the tragedy, coming just 24 hours before the country’s Independence Day celebrations that many families in the area look forward to all year, has only amplified the family’s grief. Stephen Basden reiterated that his brother was focused on improving his life and securing a bright future for his six children before his sudden death.
Shortly after the crash on July 9, Royal Bahamas Police Force issued a public statement rejecting unsubstantiated online claims that an active serving officer of the force was responsible for Basden’s death. Police confirmed that no credible evidence has emerged to support that allegation, and that the investigation into the crash remains active and ongoing.