An 11-year-old boy identified as Devonne “DJ” David was struck and killed while trick-or-treating on Halloween night in southeast Atlanta.
According to a report from WSB-TV, David was out with his friends when he ran across the 2700 block on Memorial Drive in East Lake and was struck by a car at the intersection.
Police say the accident happened at 8:20 p.m. Sunday night. The driver remained at the scene and is not expected to face charges.
A resident in the neighborhood, Wesley Fulton, witnessed the accident and immediately rushed into the street to help David.
“As soon as he got hit, I screamed a little bit and ran out in the street to grab him and see if he was okay,” Fulton told 11 Alive. “We were talking to him, like, ‘Come on, you got this. You’re going to be all right.’”
Fulton, who remained at David’s side until the ambulance arrived, said the boy was bleeding but conscious after the accident. He and his sister also welcomed the children who were trick-or-treating with David inside their home to keep warm. The boy’s family thanked Fulton for staying with him.
“The driver cried on the ground for at least two hours,” the man said.
Fulton and other residents in the neighborhood have worried for years that someone would be hit at the intersection.
“I almost would say we need an LED light at this location because this is where everybody crosses,” Fulton said. “For many months and years, I’ve been trying to get them to come to replace the signs. Everybody’s mailbox is turned sideways because everybody’s mailbox got hit.”
Doug Williams, the former neighborhood association president, said the community has been actively working towards a solution to reduce driver’s speed along Memorial Drive for years.
“It’s heartbreaking. For those of us that have been working to slow down Memorial – this is what we’ve been afraid of all along,” Williams said.
David attended KIPP WAYS Academy, the first KIPP charter school in Atlanta, founded by Alonzo Herndon, one of the first black millionaires in the United States.
David’s family created a GoFundMe in an effort to raise money for funeral expenses. On Tuesday, the family exceeded their goal with over $10,000 raised. David leaves behind his mother, two sisters, and a brother.
