A young man remembered by his family as deeply loved was killed while heading home from a new security job at a World Cup match in California.
Aaron Avery, 22, had completed only his second day working security at SoFi Stadium on June 15, where Iran and New Zealand had been playing, when he was hit by a speeding white Tesla at around 10:30 p.m. in Los Angeles, according to his family.
His aunt, Norm Quinn, told KTLA 5 that Avery “was almost to the curb when he was struck.” Family members said the impact dragged him for about half a block.
The driver, whose name has not been released, stayed at the scene and was arrested, Avery’s family said.
Avery, a cherished son and brother, suffered several critical injuries in the crash, including brain trauma, relatives said.
He was put on life support after being taken to the hospital, but died from his injuries the next day.
His sister, Monique Yates, told CBS News that she was informed the driver claimed he did not see Avery before hitting him that night.
Avery’s organs to be donated
“You say you didn’t see my brother walking because he had on all black,” Yates told the outlet. “It don’t matter what color he had on. That can’t be an excuse on why you hit somebody.”
Quinn added: ‘From what I was told, it was a strong possibility that speed played a part in it, and the guy was under the influence.’
Avery was an organ donor and had his organs harvested on Saturday, his heartbroken aunt revealed.
‘He will be donating his lungs, his heart, his kidneys, his spleen and his liver. He gets to save another life,’ Quinn said.
Blanca Cohen with OneLegacy, a non-profit organization that supports organ, tissue and eye donations, said that Avery could potentially save eight lives.
‘There’s over 100,000 folks across the nation, nearly 19,000 Californians, who are waiting for a life-saving organ,’ Cohen told ABC 7.
‘Unfortunately, all too many folks pass away each day waiting for that gift.’
Despite losing her nephew, Quinn said she is happy to hear that he will live on through others.
Family seeks justice
‘I know this is our final goodbye but at the same time, I know that something good is going to come out of it. They’ll have a part of him and maybe he can turn them into gamers. Haha,’ she told ABC 7.
As the family continued to come to terms with his sudden death, Quinn said she just hopes the driver is held accountable for his actions.
‘This is a very devastating moment for my family. He was my sister’s baby. It’s very devastating,’ she said.
Quinn continued: ‘I just hope my nephew gets justice. He has to take responsibility for his actions. He doesn’t understand what he’s done to my family.’
A GoFundMe page has since been launched to help the grieving family during this challenging time.
‘Aaron was a caring and dedicated son who loved helping his community. His involvement with the World Cup was a source of pride for him and his family,’ the fundraiser read.
As of Monday morning, more than $10,000 has been raised to support them.
The Daily Mail contacted the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for comment.
