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Rodney Jean Thomas, a 12-year-old resident of Ocoee, Florida, has died at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando after spending days on life support. According to The Haitian Times, the boy was critically injured on the evening of November 11 when he was struck by a vehicle while crossing a road near the intersection of Old Winter Garden Road and Blackwood Avenue. His 9-year-old brother, who was walking with him at the time around 7:45 p.m., witnessed the collision but escaped injury.
The tragedy has devastated his mother, Madianne Forestal, a single parent raising five sons ranging in age from 2 to 15 years old. Christy Buehler Reynolds, a close family friend and spokesperson, described the boy as gentle and faithful, noting that he loved music and sang at Mosaic Church. Reynolds emphasized the profound impact of the loss on the entire family, particularly on the younger brother who witnessed the crash.
Ocoee police responded quickly to the scene and found the child severely injured in the roadway. He was initially transported to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. The driver remained at the scene, and the circumstances of the collision remain under investigation, with police not yet publicly establishing the cause or assigning responsibility.
Beyond the emotional devastation, the family now faces immediate financial hardship. Forestal works seven days a week to support her children, and the funeral arrangements combined with necessary time away from work have created significant strain. Reynolds and fellow church member Frances Pennington Barra have established a GoFundMe campaign to help ease the family’s financial burden during this critical time.
Reynolds raised concerns about conditions at the crash site, noting that the area is poorly lit and dark. She indicated the boy was wearing dark clothing and may not have been visible to the driver. Thornebrooke Elementary, Rodney’s school, has acknowledged the tragedy and directed community members toward the family’s fundraiser. A funeral date has not yet been announced as the family begins the process of planning.
Ocoee is a small incorporated town in the greater Orlando area that is home to a growing Haitian community. The crash occurred near a residential apartment complex where the family lived, in an area the family friend described as dark and poorly lit.
This tragedy affects the Haitian diaspora community in Central Florida, where Ocoee has become home to a burgeoning Haitian population. The loss underscores the vulnerabilities faced by immigrant families navigating life in the United States while working to provide for their children.
Sources and attribution
- The Haitian Times
- A juvenile was hospitalized after a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash in Ocoee
- UPDATE: Juvenile dies after vehicle-versus-pedestrian accident | West Orange Times & Observer
- Family remembers 12-year-old Rodney Jean Thomas after fatal Ocoee crash
- Florida boy, 12, taken off of life support after being struck by car in Winter Garden crash
- 12-year-old boy hit by driver in Ocoee dies after days on life support, family says
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