Mourners line Tampa roadway where teen was hit and killed by undercover deputy

Image 1 of 4

Mourners lined the street Saturday where a 15-year-old boy was hit and killed by a Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputy the night before.

His mother wants answers.

The accident happened at Friday at about 6:30 p.m. at the intersection of 124th Avenue and Florida Avenue in Tampa, Florida.

That’s where dozens of loved ones lit candles Saturday - paying tribute to 15-year-old Josiah Pinner.

Josiah’s mom, Joanne Rojas was very emotional Saturday - still trying to wrap her mind around what happened.

“He was a good kid. I swear he was. He was his sister’s protector. My only son. I can never get that back,” Rojas said.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Josiah was walking across the street with a friend who was walking with their bike.

The deputy who hit Pinner was undercover and driving an unmarked car north on N Florida Ave. He told investigators he spotted Josiah’s friend and swerved to miss him, but he was unable to avoid hitting Josiah.

According to the sheriff’s office, the teens were not in a crosswalk when they crossed the street. As of right now, the deputy who hit the teen is not facing any charges.

A witness told FOX 13 News he didn’t want to go on camera, but said when the deputy hit the boy, he kept driving down the road for about a half-a-mile before he turned around and came back to the accident scene.

Friends say Josiah was just like any typical teenager who loved being around his friends.

“He liked to go to movies," family friend Justin Boston said. "Like any young kid. He loved the Marvel movies. He loved playing Call of Duty that was his favorite thing to play. He was normal 15-year-boy. He just turned 15.”

A GoFundMe page has been created to help the family with funeral expenses.
 
FOX 13 reached out to the sheriff's office for comment, but no one was made available to speak with us.

The family has hired an attorney, but they aren't saying yet what type of legal action they plan on pursuing.