DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit family is searching for answers after a 13-year-old boy was killed in a hit-and-run on the city's west side.
R'Jay McCall was struck by an unknown vehicle on June 22 while walking with a friend from a gas station along Schoolcraft Road near Birwood Avenue and Ilene Street.
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"I had just got a phone call from him asking me for some money to go to the store," said Alicia Heath, R'Jay's mother. "From there, from the time I sent him the money, I didn't hear anything. That's when I heard he got hit by a car."
R'Jay, who was described as an athlete who knew how to keep a smile on people's faces, later died at the hospital.
"Always happy, lovable and he can be funny. He would always like to make people laugh," Heath said.
In a heartbreaking coincidence, R'Jay's funeral was held on July 14 — what would have been his 14th birthday.
"He called it his golden year and he didn't celebrate that," Heath said.
The grieving mother is left wondering why the driver didn't stop to help her son.
"It's a child. Don't leave a child alone to fight for their life when you could've just stopped and gave them some type of comfort. Even if you didn't know that child, it would've been something," Heath said.
This tragedy has brought back painful memories for Heath, who says her own mother was also killed by a driver in 2009.
"I can't just let this go by like that and become a cold case because that was my son and I need answers. His family needs answers," Heath said.
R'Jay's aunt, Cierra Jackson, emphasized how important finding justice is for the family.
"It's just like something happened in a blink of an eye and now, everything is said and done. So justice means everything, especially for my sister," Jackson said.
Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP or Detroit Rewards TV.
R'Jay's family has also set up an online fundraiser to help recover from unexpected funeral expenses.
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