NEED TO KNOW
- A 6-year-old boy has died after he was hit by a landscaping truck while riding his scooter near his family’s apartment in Georgia
- Family has identified the victim as Macree Snelling, a kindergarten student at Callaway Elementary School
- Snelling’s brother witnessed the crash and raced inside to alert other family members of the tragedy, the child’s mom said
A 6-year-old boy has died after he was hit by a landscaping truck in Georgia.
Macree Snelling was riding his scooter in LaGrange on Thursday, Jan. 15, when he was hit by the truck, according to ABC affiliates WSB-TV and WTVM.
The child was “just a few feet away from his family’s apartment” at the Whispering Pines Apartment complex when the crash occurred, according to Snelling’s mother Latouris Bell, who organized a GoFundMe in her son’s memory following the tragedy.
Bell said she was getting ready for work when her 9-year-old son, who witnessed the incident, rushed inside and told her daughter what happened, WSB-TV and WTVM reported.
Snelling, who attended kindergarten at Callaway Elementary School, died as a result of the crash.
Family said Snelling loved Spider-Man, and they are planning a special Spider-Man-themed funeral for the child, according to WSB-TV and WTVM.
Bell said her son was an “energetic kid that always had energy and on the go,” adding that he would “brighten up the room when he walked in” and “make you laugh.”
“[This] feels like it’s an out-of-body experience,” Bell said. “This is a nightmare.”
Troup County Schools said in a statement on Thursday that counseling would be made available for students following Snelling’s death, according to WSB-TV and WTVM.
The school district did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Nearly $10,000 has been raised through the GoFundMe for Snelling’s family as of the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 20.
“He will be deeply missed by his family and community,” Bell said via the online fundraiser.
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