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Funeral Planning Begins For 3 Teens Struck, Killed Waiting For Bus

NORTH MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Family members of three Miami teenagers who were killed on their way to a soccer tournament over the weekend will be meeting today to plan their funerals.

THREE TEENS KILLED
(Courtesy: Little Haiti FC)

"On the way there, an automobile lost control jumped on the sidewalk where they were walking, crashed into the building killing all three children," said, Pat Santangelo, Little Haiti Football Club board member.

Gideon Desir was a North Miami Middle School student while the other two were Miami Edison High School students. None of them were related.

"These three children were the type of kids that any parent would wish their child would be like," recalled Santangelo.

He says these boys studied hard, were respectful and above all gifted athletes and described them as a parents dream.

"We were really, really proud of these three young men, they represented the Haiti community very well, they represented the City of Miami very well," he said.

"Last time I see him, Friday night, just me and him going to a restaurant to eat. That was the last time and Saturday morning they call me and say my son dead," said Penel Jean Desir, Lens' dad. "They take three young boys, three soccer player. She drive so fast, where she come from to take three lives, boys' lives like that."

Surveillance video shows grainy images of the three boys walking on north east 125thy street Saturday morning.

Seconds after they walk out of view, we see a car heading over the tracks — in the direction of the boys.

The driver, who has not been identified, survived the crash but was taken to Aventura Hospital in serious condition.

Police have not said what may have caused the driver to crash.

Some of their family members are headed to Miami from Haiti and other parts of the United States.

Santangelo says the boys were sent here for a better life, and they took full advantage of the opportunities that were given.

"These three children were the type of kids that any parent would wish their child could be like. We were really, really proud of these three young men, they represented the Little Haiti community very well. They represented the City of Miami very well," said Santangelo.

Fr. Reggie Jean-Mary from Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church said the community lost three sons.

He said he knew Gedeon well, that he was an altar server and here telling friends, "'I don't only want to play soccer, but I want to serve my church,'" Fr. Reggie said. "Every morning he would catch 2 buses to come from North Miami to Notre Dame d'Haiti to serve at the 7 a.m. mass. This is the kind of kids we lost. We didn't lose them to drugs and delinquency, but trying to build a future."

There is a GoFundMe page to help the families pay funeral costs for all three boys.

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