PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A student at Broward County’s Flanagan High School was killed in a crash in Pembroke Pines Thursday morning, officials confirmed.
A message from the school’s principal said the 15-year-old boy was hit by a vehicle “near a school bus stop.”
Pembroke Pines police said the crash happened just before 6:40 a.m. in the 12200 block of Washington Street.
Authorities initially said that the boy was “crossing the street” and “not using a designated crosswalk,” but police later said that he was, in fact, “standing partially in the roadway, and partially on the median, when he was struck by the vehicle near a bus stop.”
“Low visibility due to poor weather conditions appear to play a factor in this tragic accident,” police said.
Police said the teen died after being taken to a nearby hospital.
Local 10 News spoke to a Flanagan student who witnessed the crash.
“Time just froze for everybody,” Juelz Gray said. “Like we were just sitting there. It was only one parent there at the time, so they rushed and tried to help him. Everybody was like, don’t touch him.”
Another student, Marina Sanchez, said, “Just thinking about it hurts my heart, like, he was just trying to get to school.”
Students speak to Local 10 News:
“I feel bad for his family,” Sanchez said. “I can’t imagine losing a kid at all.”
Sanchez said she also feels bad for the driver who hit the teenager.
“She’s probably feeling bad too,” she said. “She was probably a mom too. So, imagine, like, ‘Oh, like I killed somebody’s child.’”
Flanagan Principal Brad Fatout said in a message to parents, “I want to offer my deepest condolences to the student’s family and loved ones, teachers, and classmates as we mourn this great loss. I ask our school community to rally around the family in prayer and support during this time of deep sorrow.”
“To assist our students and staff in coping with this tremendous loss, grief counselors were on campus today and will remain on campus for as long as necessary,” he said.
While police have yet to identify the student, his sister, Carolina Liriano, created a GoFundMe account to “give her brother ‘Jay’ the memorial he deserves.”
Click here if you would like to contribute.