PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. — A growing memorial now sits on the side of Viewpoint Road on the north side of Prescott Valley where 14-year-old Gabriel Grande was hit and killed while riding his bicycle home for dinner less than a mile from his family home.
Prescott Valley Police say the crash happened just before 5:30 Tuesday night. They say a truck hit Grande while he was on his bike. In an interview Wednesday, Prescott Valley Officer Morgan Wilson said the truck driver is being investigated for the circumstances of the crash and a domestic violence incident that happened that same evening.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Familia de Prescott llora a su pequeño hijo luego de ser atropellado mientras andaba en su bicicleta
12News spoke with neighbors across the street from where the domestic violence incident occurred, a home south of the crash site. They say a husband and wife were arguing, and the husband began slashing his wife's tires before taking off in his truck when the neighbor tried to intervene.
Minutes later, a Prescott Valley dispatcher can be heard airing out over scanner radio that a pedestrian crash had just happened. Officers can be heard reporting that the suspect in both incidents is the same person.
"Everyone involved is touched by this investigation, even first responding officers, firefighters, onlookers, everyone's involved. We are deeply affected by this," Officer Wilson said.
12News sat down with Grande's parents, Juan and Megan, who described the moment they heard a knock on their front door, one that no parent ever wants to hear.
“[Police] told me that a man in a truck hit him," Megan said. "I was like, tell me, Is he alive? Is he breathing? He said all we can tell you is they're performing life-saving measures."
The officers told her that two off-duty firefighters stopped to help save her son's life after the crash. They performed CPR and helped load him into a helicopter to be rushed to Phoenix Children's Hospital.
His parents drove as fast as they could to Phoenix to be with their son as he likely took his final breath. His mom pleaded with the nurses and doctors to be able to see her son.
"I said 'It's okay. Mommy's here. Mommy's here.' And I couldn't stop kissing him and he was still so beautiful," Megan said.
His family says Gabriel had just begun his freshman year in high school and was known by many in the Prescott Valley community as a jokester and as adventurous as they come.
"He was very smart, athletically gifted, always, he was an experienced biker," Juan said.
Their son had developed a love for mountain biking and traveled all across the state for competitions. His last race was a week before his death.
"He just kept clocking all these medals and climbing up," his mom said.
His parents are now left with very few answers about how exactly their son lost his life. Was it a tragic accident or did the truck driver intentionally hit their son?
"I want it to be a terrible, unfortunate accident," Megan said. "Maybe the town will put in street lights or sidewalks or something.”
If the driver is found to be at fault, his family says they want prosecution "to the fullest extent of the law."
Prescott Valley Police have not released the truck driver's name. All they would say is that their investigation is ongoing.