Fourth Grade Student Dies After Being Hit by Car While Playing Outside Her Home

“To know her was to truly love her,” said the mom of Marleigh Rose Pereira

NEED TO KNOW

• Marleigh Rose Pereira, 10, died after she was hit by a car while playing outside her home in Massachusetts on April 11
• Her mother described her as a bright light who brought joy and love to everyone around her
• A GoFundMe started by Marleigh’s mom has raised over $19,000 to support the family after her tragic death

A 10-year-old girl has died after she was hit by a car outside her Massachusetts home.

Family said Marleigh Rose Pereira was playing outside her home on School Street in Webster on Saturday, April 11, when she was struck by the car, according to Fox affiliate WFXT and ABC affiliate WCVB-TV.

Heather Pereira, Marleigh’s mom, said her daughter died later that same day.

“I am shattered in a way I didn’t know was possible,” Heather said in a statement on a GoFundMe established after her daughter's death. “No parent should ever have to bury their child. No mother should have to say goodbye to her baby.”

Heather said Marleigh was a student at Park Avenue Elementary School, according to WFXT.

The superintendent of Webster Public Schools confirmed in a letter that a Park Avenue Elementary fourth grader was hit by a car on School Street, WCVB-TV reported.

The driver has been identified by the Webster Police Department, which has not yet confirmed if they will face charges in Marleigh's death. The police are investigating the incident along with the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council Accident Reconstruction Unit and the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.

"When a community tragically loses a child, it loses a piece of its soul," the Webster Police Department said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to Marleigh’s family and friends as they endure this terrible loss."

In her statement, Heather said Marleigh “was a sister to four beautiful girls who now have to grow up without her.”

“They are heartbroken, confused, and trying to understand something that doesn’t make sense,” the mom wrote. “There is now an emptiness in our home that can never be filled. A silence that is too loud. A piece of our hearts that is gone forever.”

More than $19,000 has been raised through the GoFundMe started by Marleigh’s mom in wake of her daughter’s death.

Heather said Marleigh “was everything” to her, and said the child “had the kind of light that you don’t come across often, the kind that made people feel safe, happy, and loved just by being near her.” 

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“Her laugh was contagious, her heart was pure, and her presence made this world a better place,” the mom wrote. “To know her was to truly love her.”

A vigil for Marleigh will be held on Monday, April 13, according to WCVB-TV.

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