ORLANDO, Fla. – Family, friends, and classmates are mourning the loss of a 10-year-old boy who died Wednesday after he was struck while riding his bicycle by a semitruck during his ride home from school.
Pope was a fifth-grade student at Wetheree Elementary.
Troopers say Kevin was riding his bike home in a crosswalk when a semitruck hit the boy and kept going. He died a short time later.
His classmates told News 6 he was funny, smart and loved to play basketball.
"In class, he would make us laugh all the time," said Pope's classmate, Tayella Anderson. "He just made my day, really."
A day after the crash, friends, and loved ones put out flowers and balloons at the intersection of Wetherbee Road and Landstar Boulevard, where Kevin was hit.
"He made me laugh and how he used to ride his bike with me and all that," Tayella said.
Tayella said she's now making some changes.
"I don’t want to ride my bike to school because anything can happen," she said.
Kevin's mother is devastated. She released the following statement to News 6: “I appreciate all of you for reaching out. There is a GoFundMe page that is being set up. I love my baby and he touched a lot of lives.”
Karla Jones, a family friend, told News 6 Kevin was a fun-loving kid who died way too soon.
"He was such a sweet little boy. He had a smile that would brighten up the room," Jones said. "It’s just so new right now, and we’re just trying to make this all sink in."
If you have any information that can help authorities track down the driver of the semitruck that troopers say was involved, give authorities a call.
The Parent Teacher Organization set up a GoFundMe account to assist the victim's family. Click here to find out more.