A community is mourning the loss of a 13-year-old who was tragically killed Thursday evening in North Lauderdale while riding his e-scooter.
According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, Raequon Laster was killed in the crash that occurred on McNab Road near 81st Avenue.
Keila Gordon, Laster's mother, spoke to NBC6 about the devastating loss. She described the painful moment she learned of her son's death at the hospital after he was hit by a car.
“I immediately dropped to the floor on my knees,” she said. “I screamed. I cried. On my way there I remember saying a prayer for him and praying that he would recover by the time I get there, and unfortunately, he just didn't.”
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The crash happened just before 5 p.m. when Laster was reportedly riding his scooter the wrong way down the road.
Deputies said he was hit by a white Mercedes traveling in the middle lane.
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The driver, who remained at the scene, reportedly did not see the scooter until it was too late but was described as cooperative by deputies.
Raequon was a student at Silver Lakes Middle School, located less than a mile from the site of the accident.
Gordon said the family was preparing to celebrate the birthday of Raequon’s twin siblings on Friday. Instead, his mother now faces the unimaginable task of planning his funeral.
Gordon fondly remembers her son's smile, his love for school, and his dreams of joining the military one day.
“His room is still the same,” she said. “Everything here is still the same. Nothing out of place. Because we want to keep that memory that he was here.”
BSO’s traffic homicide detectives have indicated that neither excessive speed nor driver impairment were factors in this tragic incident. The investigation continues as the community and the Laster family grapple with this profound loss.
