12-Year-Old Boy Struck and Killed While Riding Bike: ‘My Son Never Gets to Come Home Again,’ Mom Says
"He just wanted to ride his bike and go to the park like every other kid," Joseph Brausen's mom said
A 12-year-old boy was fatally struck while riding his bike in Oregon on Saturday afternoon, police said
The victim, identified by family as Joseph Brausen, was heading to a park when he was hit, according to his mom
A GoFundMe campaign to help Joseph's family has raised over $9,000 as of Tuesday afternoon
A 12-year-old boy was struck and killed by a car while riding his bike in Oregon on Saturday afternoon, police said.
The fatal crash happened around 4:10 p.m. local time near Southeast 10th Avenue and Baseline Street in Hillsboro, police said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
The boy has been by family identified as Joseph Brausen, according to NBC affiliate KGW, CBS affiliate KOIN and Fox affiliate KPTV.
Sarah Brausen, Joseph's mother, told KGW and KPTV that her son was headed to play basketball when he was hit. “That’s the only thing he wanted to do in life was be an NBA player,” she said, per KPTV.
The driver remained at the scene, and no charges have been announced, police said. An investigation led by the Washington County Crash Analysis Reconstruction Team is ongoing.
“All factors are being considered by the investigators and I’m sure you know CART investigations are very thorough and take time,” Hillsboro PD spokesperson Sgt. Aaron McCarver told KOIN.
"My son never gets to come home again. It still doesn't feel real," the mom told KGW.
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Reflecting on the moments after the crash, Sarah told KGW that she had not heard from her son but was able to track down the location of his phone through the Family Link app. That's when she saw the authorities.
"I drove as close as I could to the police tape, and I ran into the police tape, and then his bike was laying there," she told the outlet.
Now the family is honoring him with a memorial at the scene of the crash, per KGW. They're also hoping that the driveway leading to Starbucks, where their youngest of four was struck, can be closed off, according to KPTV.
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A family friend has also launched a GoFundMe fundraiser for the "unexpected" funeral costs and a loss of work to help "ease the weight of this beautiful family."
More than $9,000 has been raised as of Tuesday afternoon.
“I have to bury my baby. Why?” Sarah told KPTV, adding that “he just wanted to ride his bike and go to the park like every other kid.”
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