When Jonah Ragsdale was stranded and needed help Monday night, Daniel Mole came to his friend’s aid.

Before the night was over, however, both friends would die at the hands of a hit-and-run driver as they were repairing Ragsdale’s tire on the side of Farrington Highway in Makaha.

The tragedy left family and friends stunned with disbelief.

“It’s surreal,” said Richard Mole, Daniel’s father, who had joined friends and loved ones gathered at the scene of the crime Tuesday. “Geez, I just saw him. He was young and vibrant, and you don’t expect your child to be gone one day.”

Police are looking for any witnesses.

“If anyone can identify the driver or saw the collision, we would appreciate that help,” said Lt. Ben Mosz­kowicz, acting captain of the Honolulu Police Department’s Traffic Division.

Police said the two men were repairing the left tire of a white 1990 Toyota Tacoma on the eastbound shoulder of Farrington Highway about 7:40 p.m. Monday when a white 2013 Volkswagen Passat struck them. The driver was traveling east on the highway when the Passat hit the men about a mile east of Makua Cave.

The vehicle continued on the road without stopping to render aid.

Ragsdale, 21, of Maili, died at the scene, and Emergency Medical Services transported Mole, 23, in critical condition to Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Paramedics examined a third man in his 20s for minor injuries. He refused treatment and transport to a hospital.

About a half-hour after the hit-and-run, the suspect vehicle was located on Lahilahi Street in Makaha with a female in the back seat.

Police said damage was observed on the front bumper and hood. The front right tire was also missing.

Police plan to obtain footage from surveillance cameras in the residential area where the Passat was located. They are also seeking a search warrant for the vehicle, which is currently at the main police headquarters.

On Tuesday, more than 50 friends and family gathered at the site of the hit-and-run, where a makeshift memorial of crosses, balloons, flowers and messages of remembrance stood.

Richard Mole described his son as a good kid with lots of friends from his Nanakuli Valley neighborhood. A 2012 graduate of Nanakuli High School, he played baseball and participated in canoe paddling, among other things.

Daniel, he said, was a tire technician at American Tire Co. in Kapolei who aspired to be a mechanic.

“He was the go-to guy (for car repair),” the dad said. “He loved to tinker with cars and trucks.”

Judging from pictures on his Facebook page, Ragsdale’s white Toyota truck needed plenty of repairs in the past.

And Daniel Mole was the go-to guy Monday night when Ragsdale called him about a tire problem. Daniel left his Nanakuli home, went to the store to get new lug nuts and headed to Makaha where Ragsdale was stuck on the side of the road, his dad said.

On the highway that night, several friends had showed up in vehicles that were lined along the roadside. And while there wasn’t much room on the shoulder, cones were placed on the street to help guide traffic to avoid the temporary operation.

After Daniel was taken to the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Center, some 60 friends appeared at the hospital to support the young man, his dad said.

But the throng was ultimately disappointed. The whole situation was tragic, an emotional Richard Mole said, because his son was there to help a friend. And he said he couldn’t understand why the driver didn’t stop and take responsibility.

Police said it’s unknown at this time whether speed, alcohol or drugs were involved in the incident. There were no arrests Tuesday.

There have been 10 traffic fatalities on Oahu this year, compared with four at the same time last year.