6-Year-Old Boy Dies After Being Hit by Car in Front of His Home: ‘My World Stopped’

Six-year-old Abel Aquino-Torres died after he was struck by a car on his family’s neighborhood street in Lawrenceville, Ga., on the night of Saturday, Nov. 15.

Abel’s parents, Juan Torres and Karina Aquino, said the family had just come home from a birthday party when Abel asked to ride his bike around 9:20 p.m., Juan told WSB-TV. Juan initially told his son it was too late, but eventually agreed to let him take one quick lap around the neighborhood.

Before Abel could make it safely across the street, a car hit him. “The car was going very fast, and it was dark,” Karina said, according to the outlet.

Abel died shortly after being struck. The kindergartner was the youngest of five children and leaves behind his four older sisters: Ariana, Briana, Gracie and Sarahi.

“My world stopped,” Juan said. “I feel the emptiness because my child is no more here.” He described his only son as “my partner” and “my mini me,” he told 11 Alive.

The grieving parents are now urging drivers to recognize the responsibility that comes with being behind the wheel. “Tell everybody to be more careful. A car is also a weapon,” Karina told WSB-TV.

“God gives, and he takes,” she added. “There is a purpose for everything he does, and we don’t question.”

Karina said their faith is helping them cope with the loss, even as the pain feels overwhelming. “The spiritual side of us is at peace because we know he’s in a good place, we know he’s in the presence of our creator, but the human, the flesh in us, misses him deeply,” she said, according to 11 Alive.

Despite their heartbreak, Abel’s parents say they have forgiven the driver involved in the crash. “We believe in forgiveness and in mercy, which is what Jesus would have done,” Karina told WSB-TV. They also expressed deep appreciation for friends, neighbors and others who have rallied around them, saying the family is “very, very grateful.”

Abel’s uncle created a GoFundMe page to help cover the unexpected funeral costs. “Abel was a bright, joyful child who brought light everywhere he went,” the description on the page reads.

“He was a firm believer in Christ, a little boy with the purest heart, and someone who made friends effortlessly. His smile, kindness, and loving spirit touched everyone who knew him.”

The page says Abel’s parents and sisters have had their world “shattered.” “No family is ever prepared for a loss like this,” it continues.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing, and no charges have been filed, the Gwinnett County Police Department said, according to 11 Alive.