9-year-old boy dies from injuries after wreck with GoRaleigh bus, family says

A 9-year-old boy who was injured in a wreck with a GoRaleigh bus has died two days after his father died from his injuries in the accident, Raleigh police said.

Juan Lebrón, the car’s driver, and his son, Juan Steven Lebrón, were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries on Sunday, according to a GoFundMe set up by a friend to assist the family. Juan died hours after the crash, and Juan Steven died Tuesday morning, according to the GoFundMe.

The wreck happened Sunday around 11:15 a.m. when Lebrón’s 2005 Acura was traveling north on Garner Road and approaching an intersection with Peterson Street. The car struck the bus that was making a left turn onto Garner Road, according to a police investigation.

One bus passenger was hospitalized with a non-life-threatening injury.

The bus driver was cited for failure to yield causing serious bodily injury, said police spokeswoman Laura Hourigan on Monday.

Julián Abreu, a close friend of the family, said Lebrón was taking his son to a barber shop to get their hair cut.

Abreu said he knew the father for around 12 years as part of Raleigh’s community of Dominican immigrants. Abreu is president of the Association of Dominicans in Raleigh (ADORA), a nonprofit.

Lebrón immigrated from the Dominican Republic many years ago, Abreu told The News & Observer. Juan Steven migrated to the U.S. when he was 4 years old to live with his father.

The crash remains under investigation.

Part of Raleigh’s Dominican community

Juan Lebrón was affectionately called “el tío,” which means “the uncle” in Spanish, because of his loving relationship with his family friends and others, Abreu told The News & Observer.

“We did all kinds of things together, that’s why this hits us so hard and has us inconsolable,” he said.

Lebrón actively participated in events with ADORA, including a voter registration event in Raleigh on Saturday, the day before the fatal accident.

“The boy was happy, he would tell me, ‘Look uncle, I can speak Spanish now!’”Abreu said. “He was a big boy who was growing up. (His childhood) happened before our eyes, he was together with us when we went all over town, I mean, wow. Terrible, terrible.”

Lebrón participated in community games of dominoes and softball with other fellow Dominican expats in the area and would hang out at barber shops.

Family friends are raising money online to help get an emergency visa for Juan Steven’s mother to travel to Raleigh from the Dominican Republic so she can see her son’s body and help organize a funeral.

“It’s such a big tragedy,” Abreu said. “Imagine all the relatives in the Dominican Republic getting the news that maybe they won’t be able to say a last goodbye to Juan Lebrón. “He’s leaving behind a mother, a sister, a cousin, all kinds of people who could in this case not be able to see his body.”

WRAL first reported the child’s death.

This story was originally published April 12, 2022 at 7:35 PM.