MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - A grieving community came together to remember three freshman students at Florida Memorial University, two of whom, police said, were struck and killed in Miami Gardens by a driver who fled the scene.
7News captured dozens of mourners on Wednesday night as they held candles and mourned the loss of 18-year-old Sharaya Story, 19-year-old Asiayanna Green and Tyrone Miles Jr.
A member of the university’s community led mourners in prayer.
“We pray for every single student that is hurting, every single family member that is hurting, and we are just asking that you wipe away the tears like only you can,” said the speaker.
“It’s been inaccurately stated that time heals wounds. No, I would say time creates scars, and the scars that you have remind you that what you’ve been through, you made it through,” said another speaker.
According to Miami Gardens Police, Story and Green were walking near campus, in the area of Northwest 42nd Avenue and 163rd Street when they were struck.
Surveillance video captured a small group walking in the middle of the road seconds before impact.
Moments later, a silver Infiniti SUV is seen crashing on the side of the street.
Police said the driver hit the gas and never stopped to help. He was later found hiding in the rear of a nearby home and placed under arrest.
The suspect was later identified as 35-year-old Jerome Harrell. He faces two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving death.
Two days before Story and Green were killed, FMU officials said, the family of Tyrone Miles Jr. informed them that Miles lost his life but did not reveal how.
Emotional students at the memorial have been left trying to make sense of the tragedy, as they paid their respects to their friends.
FMU President Dr. Jaffus Hardrick also spoke at the event.
“What you should know is that we love you, and we’re always going to cherish them, and we will always remember them,” he said.
School officials said that three trees will be planted on campus in the students’ memory.
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