Grandfather of missing Georgia toddler Quinton Simon killed in hit-and-run

The grandfather of missing Georgia toddler Quinton Simon was killed after he was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene, deputies said.

Henry Dale Moss Sr. was found around 7:20 a.m. on Wednesday lying off of the road on Highway 23 in Burke County. Moss, 61, of Girard, Georgia, was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Preliminary investigation indicates the male was struck while in the roadway by an unknown vehicle,” Burke County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jimmy Wylds said in a news release.

The agency asked for the public’s help in identifying the driver and vehicle that struck Moss.

“Sheriff Williams is offering a reward for the information that leads us to the individual responsible for this hit-and-run fatality,” the news release states, adding that callers can remain anonymous.

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The Georgia State Patrol is assisting with the investigation. A spokesperson had no further details.

Moss is the paternal grandfather of Quinton, the 20-month-old toddler who was reported missing on Oct. 5 by his mother, Leilani Simon. She called 911 and said that he had vanished from his playpen.

Police later said they believe Quinton was dead after they spent more than a week searching the house and surrounding area. Authorities believe his remains are in a landfill outside Savannah but said Wednesday the chances of recovering them are “low.”

“We have spent two weeks digging through thousands of tons of garbage. We knew going into this landfill search, the odds of recovering Quinton’s remains were low,” the Chatham County Police Department said in a Twitter thread. “Most landfill searches do not end in a recovery due to many factors including volume of trash to search and compression of the debris, however we stay focused.”

Simon is the prime suspect in her son’s disappearance and presumed death, although she has never been arrested or charged.

NBC affiliate WSAV-TV of Savannah said that Quinton’s paternal grandmother died last week. Police did not release details about what happened.