EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) — Loved ones are mourning a 9-year-old East County boy who died after being struck by a truck while crossing the street near his home.
“He was an amazing little boy. He lit up every room he walked into,” said Ebony Allen.
On that early evening in mid-April, 9-year-old Ashton Burris was playing with several friends near his Flinn Springs home when a ball rolled across Rios Canyon Road.
His cousin Allen said he looked both ways before retrieving the ball.
“He was going back to the house. He looked both ways again and didn't see a car… It was my understanding he was in the middle of [the] street when he was struck,” said Allen.
According to the CHP, a GMC Sierra crashed into him. The 76-year-old driver remained at the scene.
Ashton rushed to the ER with major injuries, including a head injury. Five days later, he was declared brain-dead.
“I know how much I'm grieving. I can’t put into words how much [Ashton's] mother is grieving,” said an emotional Allen. “We want to thank all the doctors and hospital staff that tried to save Ashton’s life.”
Allen calls her cousin a kind, caring boy who loved soccer and Pokemon and loved making others feel better.
“He could sense something was off with someone. He would do something goofy to make you smile or laugh,” said Allen.
Back at the scene, there is a collection of stuffed animals and signs remembering Ashton.
In the surrounding neighborhood, along Rios Canyon Road, signs have been put up, asking drivers to ‘Slow Down.’
‘It’s very scary. There are a lot of kids in the area,” said Duane Lamb.
Lamb, a neighbor, says speed is a daily problem as cars speed down a hill near the crash scene. The CHP has not yet said if speed was a factor in the crash.
“When we pull out onto Rios Canyon Road, it’s always a nerve-wracking experience,” said Lamb.
Neighbors tell ABC 10News that a four-way stop has been approved a short distance away, near a school.
Meanwhile, as loved ones mourn a young life lost, they say part of his legacy will include four donated organs. Allen says a 50-year-old man received one of his kidneys while a 30-year-old woman received the other. His liver went to a 5-month-old girl, and his heart went to a 4-year-old boy.
“It does give us some comfort that through this tragedy, he was able to save four other lives,” said Allen. “To know that his heart is beating in a little 4-year-old’s body is pretty amazing.”
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing. Drugs and alcohol aren't believed to be factors, and no arrest has been made.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help the family with funeral expenses and medical bills.
