ORLANDO, Fla. – The family of a 10-year-old boy who was struck and killed by a semitrailer last month announced Tuesday that a $5,000 reward is being offered in hopes of finding the driver responsible for the crash.
Kevin Pope was struck and killed April 24 near Wetherbee Elementary School, where he was a student.
Pope was riding his bike home from school and was in a crosswalk when the semitrailer struck and killed him, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
His mother, Adrienne Edmonson, said Pope was a bright child who never stopped smiling.
"Kevin was just always happy," Edmonson said. "He loved everybody. He was caring, he always wanted to help people."
Troopers continue to search for the driver and have inspected 200 semitrailers. The FHP said, however, that it's possible the driver was unaware that he struck the boy.
Not knowing who hit her child has made the grieving process difficult for Edmonson.
"I just want some information to know what happened to my baby. I want some closure,” she said.
She was at what would have been Pope's fifth grade graduation ceremony when she was approached by two strangers who offered to donate money to be used as a reward.
Attorney Greg Francis has set up a tip line through his law firm in which citizens can provide information that will then by forwarded to FHP.
“We see this is an opportunity to be aggressive and to gather all information, to be as wide as possible,” Francis said.
Witnesses to the crash are asked to call the tip line at 407-420-6699.