‘I wish I could do anything to have him back’: Man killed in Spokane hit-and-run was hard-working father of six, wife says

Gina Griese will miss quick weekend getaways with her husband, Mike Griese, who she called the “best provider” and a man with a contagious laugh.

Mike, 54, was walking home from a bar late last month in Hillyard when a driver hit and killed him before leaving the scene, Gina said.

She said her husband was left to die in a rain puddle when a stranger found him and called 911. The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office said he died from blunt-force injuries and ruled the death an accident.

“I wish I could do anything to have him back home,” she said.

Spokane police officers responded to the call about 10:40 p.m. Oct. 25 on Freya Street and Everett Avenue, according to police spokesman Ofc. Daniel Strassenberg. No arrests have been made, and the Major Crimes Unit is investigating, Strassenberg said. No other information has been released.

Gina said police have surveillance footage from the crash, but haven’t shared it with her because of the open investigation.

She said she and her husband of 25 years met in Arizona and moved to Spokane 27 years ago. They had six children in their blended family.

Mike owned and operated Griese Enterprises, a hot tub and pool services business. She said he contracted with spa dealers and transported hot tubs to those businesses’ customers. He also repaired hot tubs and pools, including replacing pool liners, she said.

He instilled his work ethic into their children and other kids inside and outside the family, Gina said. He also taught them the importance of being a gentleman.

She said she’ll miss their quick trips out of town to places like Sandpoint or the Tri-Cities that her husband planned. They stayed in hotels, and while he wasn’t much of a swimmer, he’d go to the hotel pool with her, she said.

Gina said her husband loved low-rider pickup trucks since he was old enough to drive. He also enjoyed barbecuing in the backyard while listening to country music with friends.

They attended Living Hope church on Garland Avenue and Nevada Street, and the couple always went for a “treat” afterward, she said.

Gina said she can’t remember some parts of the night her husband died because she was in shock.

“I just remember saying, ‘No, no, no,’” she said upon hearing the news. She said she called a few people, including family members, and, before she knew it, her house was full of people supporting her.

She has mixed emotions about the crash. She said she’s angry and sorrowful, but as a Christian, her heart is telling her to forgive.

“It’s still hard to believe that somebody would hit him and continue to leave,” she said.