HAVERHILL, Mass. — The family of a 12-year-old girl hit and killed by a school bus while riding an E-scooter in late June spoke out for the first time since the tragedy.
The parents of Jewel LeBaron spoke exclusively to Boston 25 news reporter Daniel Coates Tuesday where their daughter was fatally hit more than a month prior.
“I’m still in shock,” said her mother Melleta Bellard. “I’m just missing my baby more than anything every day. I’m broken.”
Her father, Thomas LeBaron, added, “It was the worst day I could imagine.”
On June 25th, the corner of Haverhill’s Fifth Avenue and Portland Street was taped of by police. They claimed two girls were hit by a school bus while riding an E-scooter.
Middle schooler Jewel LeBaron later died from her injuries.
“I fell to my knees crying, screaming,” remembered Bellard. “I never screamed so loud in my life.”
She continued, “I’m angry. I’m broken. I’m sad. I have all these different emotions, and we’re trying to find a way to navigate our lives now.”
Her family claims their daughter was regularly bullied.
Next to a memorial of flowers and stuffed animals marking where she was hit, her father added, “She wanted peace with everyone, and that was her biggest thing -- for everyone to get along.”
The Ride Safe Act, a piece of legislation aimed at restricting the use of e-bikes and e-scooters, remains under review in conference committee on Beacon Hill. Lawmakers have cited a spike in tragedies involving these vehicles across the state.
City leaders like Ward 1 Councilor Ralph T. Basiliere have urged Haverhill and the state to act after this tragedy.
Last month in a statement to the public safety subcommittee, he said in part:
“Enough is enough. I share in the community’s frustration and grief. Also, I don’t feel it’s prudent to wait for the Massachusetts legislature to pass a law...”
LeBaron’s family gathered around the memorial Tuesday to remember their loved one.
“It’s hard man,” said her uncle Cari Victor. “It’s going to be a bruise on my heart forever.”
Boston 25 reached out to Haverhill police for an update on the investigation, and the family’s claims that their daughter was being chased before the deadly incident. We are waiting to hear back.
No charges stemming from the incident have been reported.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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