A Littleton family is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the hit-and-run death of their son, four years after he was struck and killed in Commerce City and the driver fled the scene. Matthew Bern was 47 years old when he was hit in the 5800 block of Holly Street on November 15, 2022, and the case still has no arrests.
Brad and Diana Bern have partnered with Metro Denver Crime Stoppers to offer the reward, according to 9News. Investigators believe the vehicle involved was a maroon or red pickup truck. Investigators have released a photo of the truck as they continue seeking tips.
A Mother's Plea for Answers
Diana Bern said she wants to look the driver in the eyes and tell him he took her son from the family. She believes someone close to the driver may know what happened, and she has urged that person to reconsider staying silent. Diana Bern said Matthew did not deserve what happened to him, remembering him as a delight to be around with a radiant smile.
Brad Bern said Matthew was always there for him, and the two had worked together building a line of children's furniture for Brad's woodworking business. Matthew Bern loved golf and was remembered as a compassionate and giving person, according to the family's account relayed in the same report.
A Life Marked by Struggle and Compassion
Matthew Bern experienced homelessness and addiction, and his father said he kept trying to help people like himself despite being in and out of the streets and drug programs. Brad Bern said Matthew tried to help others in similar circumstances even as he faced his own hardships, a detail that underscores how his family wants him remembered beyond the crash that killed him.
Four years ago this month, Matthew Bern was hit and killed near 58th Avenue and Holly Street in Commerce City, according to Krystal 93. The passage of time has not brought the family any closer to knowing who was behind the wheel.
How to Submit a Tip
People with information are asked to contact Crime Stoppers. Metro Denver Crime Stoppers has offered special rewards in other unsolved cases over the years, including listings of up to $10,000, $25,000 and $32,600, though it is not established whether those payouts followed the same terms as the reward now offered in Matthew Bern's case.
