Family remembers mother killed in Monument hit and run

MONUMENT, Colo. (KRDO) - On Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, just before noon a woman in the McDonald's parking lot along Baptist Road in Monument was hit and killed by a car.

Now we're learning more about who she was. 47-year-old Kristy Kerst was a sister, mother, and grandmother. Her family says she loves nature, camping, and the outdoors. But above all, they say family was the most important thing to Kristy Kerst.

Kristy's daughters, Hanna and Britany, say she gave them the world.

"She made sure her kids had everything they needed. The shirt off her back and a place to stay if they needed it," her daughter Hanna Kerst shared.

They say she was the best grandmother to their children and now some of Kerst's grandkids have taken after her interests.

"My oldest son definitely is enjoying golf because grandma loved golf," Kerst's daughter,
Britany Visage added, "Camping and everything survival-related. They were going to, or were supposed to do their own little survival camp in the summer."

They say she had finally just achieved one of her lifelong dreams of becoming a park ranger.

"She worked her whole life to get where she was. And she was finally living her dream. And now it's just gone. She's gone," said Visage.

She went on to explain she had just received major accolades from her colleagues.

"I actually had her coworker call me today, and, she was chosen to be the president of her ranger class, because of how dedicated and selfless she was. She had a smile that just lit up the room. She just cared," said Visage.

Her other daughter continued Visage's thought.

"She made the world feel still. She did whatever she could to make us all feel important and valued. She was our best friend. And, you know, many people's best friend," shared Hanna Kerst.

Britany Visage says that her mother would be there in an instant whether she needed help with an oil change or tire issues, but she also helped her do her makeup on her wedding day and walked her down the aisle.

"Words just really can't express how amazing she was," Visage explained.

Her daughters hope she can be remembered as someone who was so strong and worked to fight for what she believed in.

Now the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO) is searching for the driver of a dark-colored minivan.

The vehicle may also have red paint scuff marks on the front passenger side.

It had no front license plate, and will now have damage to the right front corner.

Authorities believe a man was driving, and a woman was in the front passenger seat.

RELATED: Authorities searching for minivan after deadly hit and run

EPSO says they do not believe weather was a factor in the incident.