RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Family and friends of a 14-year-old boy who was hit and killed last week came together Wednesday morning to remember him at a prayer vigil.
Dwyer High School student athlete Aden Williams was hit by a car last Wednesday while on the way to the school bus.
Riviera Beach police said it happened just after 6:30 a.m. on Congress Avenue and Canopy Lane, not far from Blue Heron Boulevard.
Police say Williams was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center with severe head injuries. He passed away earlier this week.
Aden's mother, Edithe Delhomme, spoke at the prayer vigil in the spot where the crash happened.
Delhomme fought through tears to speak at the vigil as she led a crowd of family and friends on the walk Aden would make to the bus stop.
"No mother has to go through this. Aden was 14 years old. He’s a good kid. We should be able to wake up in the morning and have our kids go to school and know that they are safe. They should be able to get to their bus stop safe," said Delhomme. "This pain is unbearable. This pain hurts to the core. It’s not right. No mother should endure it. Aden was a phenomenal kid, an athlete, he had his whole life ahead of him. He did not deserve to die like this. We're taking his walk because on Wednesday, it was his last walk. I never knew I wasn’t going to see my baby again."
Grace Bondonese is a friend of the family and used to live in the area. She says it can be a dangerous spot for children walking to the bus.
"It’s crazy, I mean, the speed limit here is 45 mph, as we saw there were buses just stopped in the middle of the road not even at a stop light. There’s no lighting here at all, no crossing guards, nothing. And people are just speeding by not even looking or seeing these buses stop," said Bondonese. "Everyone who was able to know Aden is heartbroken, he left an imprint on everyone."
Police said the driver involved is cooperating and is not facing charges or a citation at this time.
Just a small portion of what Aden Williams’ mom had to say this morning. 💔💔💔 @WPTV @FOX29WFLX pic.twitter.com/1KbmIJjffx
— Stephanie Susskind (@StephanieWPTV) February 5, 2020