The grieving family of a 13-year-old boy is seeking safety improvements to Suitland Parkway in Maryland after the child was killed in a crash earlier this month.
Javon Leach died after a driver hit his family’s stalled car early Sunday, March 13. He was the light of his mother, Lakisha Leach’s life, she said Monday.
“I’m just missing him — if you see me, you would see him. Now I’m just lost. I’m lost without words. He was my friend. He was my best friend, my son, my baby. That’s my baby," she said.
Lakisha Leach had five girls and had always wanted a boy, then along came Javon.
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The crash that killed her son occurred before 1:30 a.m. on Suitland Parkway near Southern Avenue. The family’s car had broken down and they were waiting for help when the vehicle was hit hard.
One of Javon’s sisters, Chantella Leach, was in the front seat.
“I was trying to check on my brother to make sure he was good, but his eyes were just open,” she said, beginning to cry.
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The loss of the 13-year-old has brought his family great pain, and his mother said something must be done about what she called a dark, dangerous roadway.
“I feel like they should have cameras, they should have lights on Suitland Parkway," Lakisha Leach said. "This is ridiculous, and I would hate for another person or anyone to lose a loved one again."
The driver of the striking car remained on the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
Leach loved to work on bikes and cars, his family said online as they fundraised for his funeral. He was “full of life and had a bright future ahead of him,” his mother wrote.
