Following the last day of school at Botello Elementary on Friday, the community gathered to grieve rather than celebrate summer, one day after 9-year-old Jose Garcia Ledesma was killed.
“It felt cloudy and rainy, even though the sun was out,” said kindergarten teacher Yuri Ellet.
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WATCH HEREAlong with staff, classmates and neighbors laid candles, flowers and toys near the site of Thursday’s crash.
Dallas police say the family was hit by a pickup truck while crossing Marsalis Avenue around 3:30 p.m.
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SIGN UP “Un dolor en mi vida que jamas hubiera querido sentir,” she said in Spanish.
It’s a pain, she said, that she never wanted to feel.
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The school and community have rallied around the family emotionally and financially.
“We all grieve the loss of a child of an innocent child in such a senseless way,” said Ellett.
While he never had Garcia Ledesma in class, Ellett said there’s a collective sense of loss rippling across the campus and neighborhood.
“I just know he was happy. He was happy here at school with his friends,” he said.
Neighbors are also offering support for the two other children injured.
Garcia Ledesma’s twin sister, Keyla Ledesma, suffered a broken leg and hip, according to their mother. She said an 11-year-old girl, who was also transported to the hospital by Dallas-Fire Rescue, was a neighbor.
Dallas police say while their investigation of the crash remains ongoing, it does not appear speed was a factor.
The driver, who stayed at the scene, is not facing any charges.
