Boy Who Was Selling Cupcakes To Help Family After His Mother's Death Passed Away After He Crossed The Street And Was Hit By Car

Nov 15, 2019

On a Tuesday night in October, a 13-year-old boy was hit by a truck and killed while trying to cross the street in El Paso, Texas. Brian Velazquez was on a scooter and not in the intersection when the tragedy occurred.

His sister spoke with KVIA News, telling them that Brian skipped school the day before to spend some time with her, so she got to have some time with him the last day before he died. That day, Brian's older sister Ofelia took him out to get some new shoes and to a restaurant. Brian was happy to be treated to these gifts, but he was also concerned because his sister was under financial stress. 

Brian's mother had died of cancer in April, and his oldest sister was forced to shoulder the responsibility of supporting her younger siblings. She had a total of four siblings and two children of her own to support. Ofelia told the news station that her brother had changed after his mother died. He was skipping school, experimenting with marijuana and even hinting at suicide.

Brian was feeling anxiety about the financial troubles of the family, so he went out to sell chips and cupcakes on that fateful Tuesday evening. Ofelia said that the last time she saw Brian was when he left on that evening with his sister Sharlyn who was 14-years-old. Sharlyn witnessed the events that happened when Brian was struck.

She watched him cross the street on his scooter when a vehicle was quickly approaching. Sharlyn reports that the truck made a sudden lane change without using a signal. Brian was hit by the corner of the truck and was knocked down to the ground. Sharlyn watched as the truck's tire hit Brian's face.

Sharlyn called Ofelia right away, and Ofelia saw Brian's state after having been hit at the scene of the collision. Brian had a lot of blood on his face and stomach. The ambulance arrived shortly afterward. Police didn't allow any family members to ride in the ambulance with Brian. They drove to the hospital, and they were informed of Brian's death by a doctor when they arrived. Ofelia couldn't accept the truth of the news at first.

Her brother's death seemed too sudden and unbelievable. He had recently told her how excited he was about going to high school and that he was planning to make some positive changes in his life. In light of the tragedy, people have been giving financial support to help the family, and a crowdfunded page has been put in place to collect donations on their behalf.

Do you think this accident could have been prevented if the family had been in better financial shape? Let us know in the comments, and send word out to your friends and family to raise awareness.