The Bryant family is once again mourning the tragic and unexpected loss of a loved one. Just months after the golf world was shaken by the death of professional golfer Bart Bryant in a Florida car crash, the family is grappling with another devastating tragedy. Qwente Bryant, a 41-year-old beloved restaurateur and community figure in San Diego, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in the city’s Pacific Beach neighborhood early Saturday morning .
The incident occurred around 2 a.m. on Garnet Avenue. According to San Diego police, Qwente Bryant was crossing the street mid-block when he was struck by a white Mercedes SUV traveling westbound . The driver of the vehicle fled the scene immediately, last seen heading north on Gresham Street, leaving Bryant behind with fatal injuries .
In a recent development, authorities located the suspected vehicle in the Mission Valley area, though no suspect has been formally identified or arrested as of the latest reports . For the family, the discovery of the car is a small step, but it does little to ease the pain of their sudden loss.
Qwente Bryant was far more than a victim of a tragic accident. He was the assistant general manager at Tavern at the Beach, a local hotspot where he had become a cornerstone of the community. A fundraiser organized for his family describes him as "more than a familiar face.
He was a presence. He had a way of making people feel seen, welcomed, and at ease the moment they were around him" . His brother echoed this sentiment, remembering Qwente as a world traveler who had visited more than 20 countries and possessed a "rare ability to make genuine friends, no matter where he went" .
The manner of his death has compounded the family's grief with outrage. In an emotional plea to the fugitive driver, Qwente’s brother did not mince words. "We know it wasn’t intentional, but the moment you fled the scene, it became the most coward, selfish, and heartless act,” he said, begging the suspect to come forward. "Do the right thing, get my family, especially his mom, some sense of closure" .
This tragedy is a cruel echo of a loss the family endured just a few months prior. In November 2025, professional golfer **Bart Bryant** was killed in a vehicle accident in Polk City, Florida . The 59-year-old, a three-time PGA Tour winner famously known for defeating Tiger Woods by six shots at the 2005 Tour Championship, was stopped in his SUV at a construction site when a truck failed to see the halted traffic and slammed into his vehicle . While his wife Donna survived with minor injuries, Bart died from his injuries at the hospital .
Adding to a bewildering string of legal tragedies involving individuals sharing the Bryant surname, the family of an Aboriginal teenager in Australia also saw a painful legal conclusion just last year. In November 2025, Australian police Sergeant Benedict Bryant was found guilty of dangerous driving occasioning death in the 2022 killing of 16-year-old Jai Wright, who was thrown from a trail bike into the officer’s unmarked car .
While the connection between Bart, Qwente, and the Australian sergeant Benedict remains a matter of shared surname rather than immediate family relation, the clustering of such events brings a heavy focus on the families who bear it. For the immediate family of Qwente Bryant, however, the focus remains on bringing the driver to justice.
As they plan a funeral for a man described as the "glue" in their social circles, the family takes small comfort in the community's response. A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $32,000 to help cover costs and support them through this unimaginable time . But as his brother noted, no amount of money can replace the presence of a man who dedicated his life to making others feel welcome.
Police continue to investigate the hit-and-run. They urge anyone with information about the driver of the white Mercedes SUV to come forward as the Bryant family braces for another memorial.
