The family of the 12-year-old boy who died after he was hit by an SUV while walking to school with his siblings in northwest Miami-Dade says they want justice.
On Wednesday night, dozens of people joined the family at the crash site for an emotional candlelight vigil.
The family says 12-year-old Mathayus Ruedas had an unforgettable smile and he touched many lives.
"He spread a lot of love as you can see here, he touched many hearts,” Mathayus’ uncle Juan Galarza said. "It hurts because that smile's not there, you can only see it in memories."
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Last Thursday morning, the 12-year-old was walking to Biscayne Gardens Elementary School with his younger siblings. He crossed the street on Northwest 151st Street and an SUV hit him. He died a few days later.
"Who knows what he was saying when he was coming, who knows how happy he was, and they took all that away from him and it wasn't fair,” Ruedas's grandmother Nixida Camacho said.
Dozens of people showed up for a candlelight vigil outside the elementary school Wednesday night, from Ruedas's classmates to people in the community.
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His family says they want justice, but they also want to see change, including speed bumps, lights to flash earlier and more police officers, so no other family has to experience the same tragedy.
"What are they waiting for, for it to happen again to another family,” Camacho said.
"We don't know what God's intentions were, but we do feel he served his purpose,” Galarza said.
Police haven't said whether speed was a factor in the incident, which remains under investigation.
There is a GoFundMe for the family.
