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Vigil held for 15-year-old struck and killed by car in San Jose
Friends and family gathered Wednesday for a 15-year-old boy who was struck and killed by a car near his San Jose home. KTVUs LaMonica Peters is at Willow Glen High School, where the victim was a student.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A 15-year-old boy died Wednesday morning following a fatal car collision in San Jose as teens nearby were celebrating the end of the school year and high school graduation.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner identified the teen as Justin Estira of San Jose. He was a student at Willow Glen High School, the San Jose Unified School District said.
Police said a teenage girl was driving a 2019 Subaru sedan through an apartment complex parking lot entrance when she struck Justin on Rinconada Drive about 1 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said the girl was traveling at low speeds when she hit the boy.
"There’s no indication that this was done on purpose," Sgt. Jorge Garibay said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. "At this point we’re investigating this as a vehicle collision, which is just an unfortunate circumstance."
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Community mourns 15-year-old boy struck and killed by car in San Jose
A San Jose teen was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking near his apartment complex. Police say another teen was at the wheel of the car that struck him. The victims aunt says the teen was well loved.
Garibay said the girl stayed on scene and cooperated with the investigation. She was released to the custody of her parents.
According to witnesses, Justin was walking out in the driveway when he was hit.
"I heard him screaming for the driver to stop," said one teenage witness who asked not to be identified. "Everyone was here last night celebrating for high school graduation."
The teen's aunt spoke to KTVU about the tragedy.
"My cousin and his wife, they’re still grappling with the loss of their child," Aurelia Bailey said. "Justin was a happy and positive kid and was well-loved by everyone. He had a bright future."
This marks the 19th fatal collision and the 12th pedestrian death of the year in San Jose.
A GoFundMe to donate for funeral expenses and supporting his family can be found here.