WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — A family in West Mifflin is grieving after a 13-year-old boy was killed in a pedestrian crash Saturday night.
Relatives tell Channel 11 the boy, identified as Terrel Byars Jr., or TJ, was walking from a friend’s house to a Speedway in the 4300 block of Kennywood Boulevard when a driver struck him.
Neighbors say they realized something was wrong when emergency vehicles rushed to the scene.
“I just looked out my window, and I seen a whole bunch of lights,” said Dylan Sanders, who lives nearby.
Police say the crash happened shortly before 5:30 p.m.
Paramedics took the teen to a nearby hospital, but his family later confirmed he died from traumatic brain injuries.
Byars was a sixth-grade student at Logan Elementary School.
His family shared a photo of him as they continue to process the loss.
“It’s sad because a mom has to grieve, a whole family has to grieve, and it’s just not what you want,” another neighbor said.
One resident told Channel 11 the tragedy hits close to home, noting people regularly cross Kennywood Boulevard to reach nearby businesses.
The East Allegheny School District, where Terrel was a student, released a statement on Sunday, saying their thoughts are with his “family, friends, classmates, and teachers during this difficult time.”
The district is providing counselors for grief support at Logan Elementary on Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Once school resumes on Jan. 5, additional counseling and support services will be available.
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