‘He’s been ripped out of my arms’: Family of teen killed by driver in Prince George calling for change
PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The family of a 17-year-old boy who was killed by a driver while riding his skateboard last week is now fighting for increased pedestrian safety awareness. 17-year-old Devin Pulver was struck and killed by a driver while riding his skateboard on Prince George Drive near Hopewell just after 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The driver, who Devin's mother said did not see him until it was too late, has not been charged by the Prince George County Police Department. “I feel like he’s been ripped out of my arms,” said Helen Shinault, Devin's mother, to 8News in an emotional interview. “I feel like I’m stuck in a burning house and I can’t leave, I can’t get out.” Devin had been dropped off at a church event earlier that evening. When his mother attempted to reach him later, she could not get through. She eventually drove to the area but found the road blocked off. It wasn't until hours later that she learned her son had been struck by a driver and was rushed to the hospital. Doctors later declared Devin braindead, and his family made the difficult decision to donate his organs in accordance with his wishes, playing his favorite Jason Aldean song the entire time they wheeled him to the operating on Monday. “We had to start the honor walk at 4, and at 4, I just didn’t want to leave the room. I just wasn’t ready," Shinault said. "And then when they started moving him into the operating room, I just started screaming, 'No.'” Devin's organs and other body parts have gone to 27 people so far, according to his family. “That’s nice to know that some child, someone his age, of his blood type, that may not have ever seen the world can now see the world, through his eyes," said Devin's aunt, Sonya Duer. The family’s pain is compounded by financial struggles. Funeral costs have become an insurmountable burden and Shinault said they are unsure how they will afford to bury Devin next to his grandfather, as he had always wanted. The family is now considering creating an organization in Devin’s memory to promote road safety, particularly urging pedestrians and cyclists to wear bright and reflective clothing when out at night. “If you’re going to go out at night, please wear something bright, something reflective,” Duer said. “So another family doesn’t have to go through what we’re going through.” Despite the tragedy, the family has vowed to keep Devin’s memory alive and they hope their message about road safety will prevent similar deaths in the future. They also hope that, by sharing their story, they can raise awareness and funds to cover the costs of Devin's funeral. You can donate to help the family with their expenses here.
VENN
PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The family of a 17-year-old boy who was killed by a driver while riding his skateboard last week is now fighting for increased pedestrian safety awareness.
17-year-old Devin Pulver was struck and killed by a driver while riding his skateboard on Prince George Drive near Hopewell just after 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The driver, who Devin's mother said did not see him until it was too late, has not been charged by the Prince George County Police Department.
“I feel like he’s been ripped out of my arms,” said Helen Shinault, Devin's mother, to 8News in an emotional interview. “I feel like I’m stuck in a burning house and I can’t leave, I can’t get out.”
Devin had been dropped off at a church event earlier that evening. When his mother attempted to reach him later, she could not get through.
She eventually drove to the area but found the road blocked off. It wasn't until hours later that she learned her son had been struck by a driver and was rushed to the hospital.
Doctors later declared Devin braindead, and his family made the difficult decision to donate his organs in accordance with his wishes, playing his favorite Jason Aldean song the entire time they wheeled him to the operating on Monday.
“We had to start the honor walk at 4, and at 4, I just didn’t want to leave the room. I just wasn’t ready," Shinault said. "And then when they started moving him into the operating room, I just started screaming, 'No.'”
Devin's organs and other body parts have gone to 27 people so far, according to his family.
“That’s nice to know that some child, someone his age, of his blood type, that may not have ever seen the world can now see the world, through his eyes," said Devin's aunt, Sonya Duer.
The family’s pain is compounded by financial struggles. Funeral costs have become an insurmountable burden and Shinault said they are unsure how they will afford to bury Devin next to his grandfather, as he had always wanted.
The family is now considering creating an organization in Devin’s memory to promote road safety, particularly urging pedestrians and cyclists to wear bright and reflective clothing when out at night.
“If you’re going to go out at night, please wear something bright, something reflective,” Duer said. “So another family doesn’t have to go through what we’re going through.”
Despite the tragedy, the family has vowed to keep Devin’s memory alive and they hope their message about road safety will prevent similar deaths in the future. They also hope that, by sharing their story, they can raise awareness and funds to cover the costs of Devin's funeral. You can donate to help the family with their expenses here.
