Atlanta boy, 11, dies after being hit by car while trick-or-treating
By early Tuesday, the GoFundMe effort to help pay Devonne "DJ" David's funeral expenses had exceeded its $10,000 goal.
An 11-year-old boy was struck by a car while trick-or-treating near East Lake Park in Atlanta on Halloween night. Devonne “DJ” David died from his injuries at a nearby hospital.
According to a report from WSB-TV, David ran across the 2700 block of Memorial Drive and was struck by the vehicle. The driver remained at the scene and is not expected to face charges.
Wesley Fulton, who lives on the street, witnessed the accident.
“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 said. “We were talking to him, like, ‘Come on, you got this. You’re going to be all right.’”
Fulton said the boy was bleeding but conscious after the accident. He said he and his sister stayed with David until an ambulance arrived, and also welcomed the children accompanying the boy into their home to keep warm.
“The driver cried on the ground,” Fulton said, “for at least two hours.”
Fulton added that he and other neighbors have worried for years that someone would be hit at the intersection. According to local reporting, a pedestrian sign is blocked by a tree on one side of the road, and there is no signage on the other side.
Fulton says he hopes the tragic accident will lead to changes where it took place: Memorial Dr. SE, near East Lake Golf Club.
“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 replace the signs. Everybody’s mailbox is turned sideways because everybody’s mailbox got hit.”
David was a student at KIPP WAYS Academy, the first KIPP charter school in Atlanta, founded by entrepreneur and businessman Alonzo Herndon, one of the first Black millionaires in the United States. The school is centered around Afrocentric teaching and values.
David’s family has launched a GoFundMe effort to help pay for his funeral expenses. By early Tuesday, it had exceeded its $10,000 goal by just over $1,400. The description notes that the boy leaves behind his mother, two sisters and a brother.
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