Rayan Salmon: Unlicensed, speeding driver arrested after 14-year-old killed in chain-reaction crash
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
CANARSIE, BROOKLYN: 43-year-old Rayan Salmon, has been taken into custody following a chain-reaction crash on Saturday that resulted in the death of a 14-year-old pedestrian in Brooklyn.
According to reports, Salmon, who was driving without a license, was allegedly speeding during the incident. Christian Antoine died in a horrifying chain-reaction crash involving three vehicles.
In the aftermath of Antoine's death, his family, including his sister and friends, expressed their emotions and described him as the 'sweetest little boy.'
What happened at the crime scene?
The unlicensed driver accelerated through an intersection, collided with another vehicle, spun out, and subsequently struck the eighth-grader, Christian Antoine. The tragic incident occurred just around the corner from his home.
According to the police, the accident occurred around 6 pm on Saturday when Salmon was driving a Mercedes Benz on Glenwood Road. As he approached East 181st Street, he hit a GMC pickup truck that was driving past.
The Mercedes Benz ignored a stop sign, collided with the pickup truck and both vehicles spun clockwise on the roadway. Christian Antoine, who was standing a few steps off the sidewalk at East 81st Street and Glenwood Road in Canarsie, was struck by the Mercedes and knocked into a parked Honda Odyssey.
Christian Antoine was rushed to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The driver, Rayan Salmon, was arrested and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, as per abc7.
What did the victim’s family say?
As reported by CBS New York, the grieving family of the victim shared their emotions on Sunday. Antoine's sister Eudanya Guichard described their strong bond and called him her best friend. She remembered him as "the sweetest little boy you have ever seen" with ambitions and having a strong bond with his family.
Antoine's brother, Bidjy Jacinthe, stated, "He was a good kid, very quiet, always ready to help out."
A neighbor, Donnette Morrison, recalled hearing a loud bang, rushed out, and expressed surprise at the severity of the incident.
Morrison emphasized the need for a stoplight in the area, stating, "For 25 years, we need a stoplight because what happens is they just don't stop. They just race."
Guichard continued sharing memories, saying, "He made me banana bread sometimes. He would forget, put peanuts knowing I was allergic, and he would make another just to comfort me."
As the siblings comfort Antoine's distraught mother, Eveline Mathurin, Jacinthe concluded, "She don't have no word. We just here to encourage her, give her her strength back."
As per the GoFundMe page, the funds raised for Christian Antoine have surpassed $300 out of the $15,000 goal.
Eudanya Guichard, the organizer of this fundraising campaign, expressed her grief and said, "Why did you leave us so soon, my precious little babe? The darling of the family, my beloved 14-year-old little brother, is not just my best friend, but also my sweet little angel."
