Family grieves boy hit and killed while riding his bike in northeast Houston
HOUSTON - A family is calling for someone to step forward about a hit-and-run incident that killed a 12-year-old boy Tuesday night.
What they're saying
12-year-old Zachariah Benjamin was a middle school student at Forest Brook who had dreams of playing pro football.
"A loving kid who wanted to be outside all the time, wanted to play with his friends, like he did yesterday. Just a people's person," said Benjamin's sister, Monique Brown. "(He) loved football, loved playing. Just loved being a regular kid, loved having fun."
Zacariah was tragically killed Tuesday night while heading home on his bike after playing with friends. A route he took often.
His sister said they are devastated.
"To go through death like my family. We lost our mother in 2016. A couple months later, our grandmother. A year later, our sister from a car crash. So it hits home. You get numb to it, almost. Somebody who was innocent, that hasn't finished his full life yet, to be taken," said Brown.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said around 9 p.m. Tuesday along Suburban Road, Zachariah was riding his bike on the sidewalk when a dog ran out and chased him, causing him to lose control of his bike. He fell on the roadway and was hit by a car that drove off.
"I just want the person to come forward. I feel like you're making it worse for yourself when you left the scene and all you could have done was a mistake something that could have been prevented if they weren't driving fast," said Brown.
Authorities said they have surveillance video of the incident and found car and bike parts on scene. Witnesses told police they saw the car speeding and said the driver failed to stop at a stop sign. The Harris County Sheriff's Office says they are looking for the driver of possibly a black Chrysler 300 year model range from 2015 to 2023.
What you can do
Right now, the crash is under investigation.
Anyone with information can call one of the following agencies:
Harris County Sheriff's Office: 713-221-6000
Crime Stoppers: 713-222-TIPS (8477)
The Source
Information in this report comes from the Harris County Sheriff's Office. FOX 26's Jillian Hartmann spoke with the family of 12-year-old Zacariah Benjamin.
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