Raleigh mom prepares to bury 8-year-old hit by car
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A Wake County mother is grieving the loss of her little boy, struggling with heartbreak after 8-year-old Jahlen Williams was hit by a car Monday as he tried to cross the road with his mom.
Jahlen died Wednesday from his injuries.
The little boy was getting ready to start third grade at Green Hope Elementary School, and family described him as smart, well-mannered, and caring.
His mom, Keosha Williams, was right there when Jahlen was hit by a car - the two of them were trying to cross Rock Quarry Road. Now Williams is trying not to blame herself as she struggles to accept that it was her son's time to go.
"As a mother you have to be willing to accept that at some point, and then ask God to give you what you need to keep moving, just keep going," Williams said.
She is dealing with immeasurable pain, heartbreak that no mother would ever hope to experience as she now prepares to bury her son.
Jahlen suffered severe injuries from the accident, and was taken off life support Wednesday.
"I would have so much rather be the one laying up in that hospital bed and taking all that pain from him," Williams said.
Jahlen was hit by the car Monday. Police say he was with his mom walking across the road and was not in a crosswalk.
Family told ABC11 that Jahlen's sister left her phone at home. The little boy turned around to go get it, and darted into oncoming traffic.
After he was hit, his mom picked him up and held him to her chest. She said his eyes were lifeless, and he gasped for air.
The driver of the red mustang that hit Jahlen has not been charged. Police say it appears the driver was not at fault. Police do not believe the driver was speeding, nor was he impaired.
"Nobody expected for this happen, not certainly the man that hit him," Williams said. "I'm praying for him and his family. I understand it's a burden that he's going to have to bear."
The family has found a way for Jahlen's legacy to live on: the family will donate his organs to help other children.
"I'm thankful for that, and I would never want anybody, no mother, nobody to experience what I experienced," Williams said. "It's horrible. It's the worst feeling ever."
Jahlen will be laid to rest next Saturday.
The community has rallied to help the family pay for Jahlen's funeral. In one day, a fundraiser set up online raised more than $5,000. The family still needs to raise just a little bit more to give him the service that they believe he deserves.
