SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Family and friends gathered for a moving memorial for a teen who was hit and killed by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper.
Miami Killian High School students held a memorial for their friend and classmate, 17-year-old Angel Lopez, Thursday night.
Emotions ran high and loved ones said goodbye. “I wish he never left,” said one girl who was crying. “I miss him so much, and I wish he was here right now.”
Those who gathered wore orange, Lopez’s favorite color, while they lit candles, left notes and gave speeches to remember his life.
“One year and 11 months, you were such a blessing in my life,” said one speaker, “even the first day I met him.”
The 17-year-old was riding his bicycle when he was struck by an FHP trooper, Friday.
According to authorities, the on-duty trooper, identified as 36-year-old Aliek Sierra, was driving westbound on Killian Parkway near Southwest 109th Avenue when he hit Lopez who was crossing the road.
Surveillance video from a nearby business showed one angle of the crash. The trooper could even be seen reversing after the collision.
Back at the memorial, as those mourning said their final goodbyes, they said they are comforted by the memory of his spirit.
“I know he’s watching us,” said classmate Sydney Taylor. “He doesn’t want us to cry. He wants us to all be happy, and be happy with how long he was in our lives, and how much joy he brought all of us.”
Lopez’s funeral is scheduled for Friday.
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