WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – A community is in mourning after a hit-and-run crash claimed the life of a beloved father of two, whose own mother remembers him not just as her son, but as her closest companion.

John Marczak, 44, of Plainville, died last Tuesday after being struck by a vehicle in the early morning hours of June 7 on South Main Street. Now, his grieving mother, Julia LaFlamme, is grappling with the profound loss of a son she says was also her best friend.

“He took care of me. I took care of him. We were best friends,” LaFlamme shared, her voice heavy with sorrow. “Since my husband died four years ago, [we were] inseparable… We had each other. So, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I just don’t know.”

According to West Hartford police, Marczak was walking across South Main Street when he was hit by a driver who then fled the scene. Marczak was rushed to Hartford Hospital, where he fought for his life for several days before succumbing to his injuries.

The senseless tragedy has left a gaping hole in the lives of his family, particularly his two daughters, aged 14 and 16. LaFlamme said her son was a devoted father, and his children were “his whole world.”

A family friend, who wished to remain anonymous, echoed LaFlamme’s sentiments, describing the bond between mother and son as something truly special. “They weren’t just mother and son; they were best friends,” the friend said. “They leaned on each other for everything. To see that bond broken so violently is just devastating for everyone who knew and loved them.”

The friend recalled Marczak as a man with a “big heart and an even bigger smile,” someone who was always willing to lend a hand.

In the wake of the crash, West Hartford police arrested 22-year-old Juan Pablo Novoa in connection with the incident. He faces charges related to the fatal hit-and-run.

As the legal process begins, Marczak’s family is left to navigate a future without him. For a mother who has lost her son and her best friend in one tragic moment, the path forward is unimaginable. Her community now rallies around her, sharing in the grief of a life cut short and a cherished bond shattered.