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Family still in shock after woman hits father of two with car

"He gave us everything some dads can't give their kids. I hope one day he comes back."

A family is devastated after a dad was killed when a driver suddenly veered onto the sidewalk near Akers Mill and Galleria Drive in Cobb County.

“Why? Why me?” Wilna Poncer asked. “I have two kids now without their father.”

And the timing of this, the day before Thanksgiving, has made it all the more crushing to his wife and kids.

It was quite an emotional evening sitting down with the family.

Fifty-year-old Joseph Poncer left behind his wife and two children, 14-year-old Spencer and 9-year-old Will.

They last saw their father one last time when they said goodnight. Little did they know it would be the last time they'd see him.

“I feel very, very, very sad,” Will said.

“I'm still in shock after all that happened,” Spencer said. “He was a good man. He had his life taken away because of a bad driver.”

Their mom, meanwhile, said she can’t describe it.

“I just want my husband home like he's supposed to be every [night] but now he's gone forever,” Wilna said. “I don't have any words to describe my pain right now.”

11Alive has since learned that Joseph was working when the deadly crash occurred. He worked in maintenance at the Renaissance Hotel off Galleria Drive.

His wife said he started work around 6:30 a.m. She usually gets a call from him between 7:30 and 8 a.m. But, on Wednesday, it never came.

She said she thought maybe it was because of the holiday and that he was just busy at work. But just before noon, two officers showed up at her door and told her that her husband wouldn’t be coming back home.

Police said a 30-year-old Toni Halen drove a vehicle onto the sidewalk and struck Joseph. Police won’t say if she was texting, had a medical issue or just lost control of the vehicle. But charges are pending when she’s finally caught.

In the meantime, Joseph’s wife just wants justice for a life taken too soon.

“I hope they find her and she can face charges like she's supposed to because she killed my husband,” Wilna said. “She killed my kids' father.”

He was a man who both will miss – and one whose loss is still almost unreal to them.

“I miss my dad because he did a lot of things for us,” Will said.

Spencer was unable to hold back tears.

“He would usually take us to the park if we wanted to sometimes,” he said. “He would buy us food if we don't have any. He gave us shelter. He gave us everything some dads can't give their kids. I hope one day he comes back.”

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