‘Heartbroken’ family of Miami Gardens teen killed riding bike to school calls for change – NBC 6 South Florida

The family of a Miami Gardens teenager who was hit and killed while biking to school this week is speaking out, sharing the memory of their loved one, and calling for change.

Bao Tran, 14, used to ride his bicycle to school so that his mother could rest and didn’t have to take him, a family friend who was translating for the family told NBC6 on Thursday.

That was the case Tuesday, as well, when, at approximately 6:25 a.m., authorities were called to the area of Northwest 2nd Avenue and Northwest 199th Street for a reported crash involving a pedestrian.

“Give back the son to her,” a family friend, who was translating for Tran’s mother, said Thursday. “The boy [is] very good.”

Tran’s mother was inconsolable over the loss of her only son, for whom fundraising efforts are underway to have him buried in Vietnam, where he was born.

She said that she was aware of previous incidents at the intersection, but knew that her son was a safe bicyclist and was cautious on the roadways.

“That’s the area for people save lives, for no more people like us kid have the trouble, for next family don’t have any hurt problem like hers have right now,” the family friend said.

Tran’s family is calling on local leaders to make changes to the intersection, in the hopes of preventing future tragedies. From a previous incident, there is already a memorial marker there, signifying the death of Jonathan Ruiz.

Surveillance video obtained by NBC6 showed the white van that hit Tran stop after the collision, and the driver get out and walk toward where Tran was. The video also showed police responding to the scene.

Tran was taken via air rescue to the hospital by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel, but he did not survive.

Authorities said that the driver of the van was cooperative, and will not be facing charges. But Tran’s family said they want accountability.

“We want to fix that area,” the family friend said. “Our family don’t want any family has their, like hers, [heart] broken, hurt, again, again and again.”