COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) – Family and friends are remembering a 7-year-old boy from Ohio who died after falling out of a moving SUV.
Loved ones gathered Tuesday for a special balloon release in honor of 7-year-old Zondeair Robertson. Police say the boy died Sunday afternoon after he fell out of a moving SUV, which then hit him. The incident happened in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood of Columbus.
“Gammy loves you, and she wishes she was here to help. Obviously, God had other plans,” said Lakita Robertson, Zondeair’s grandmother.
Robertson says she was devastated when she heard about Zondeair’s death in what she calls an accident.
“This can’t be happening. I was on my way over to the door to literally just go get him because he spends weekends with Mom,” she said. “I just never thought that I would be dropping him off on Friday and not knowing I wouldn’t be seeing him like this.”
According to the crash report, Zondeair was riding with four other young kids in the back seat of the SUV at the time of the incident. His mother was in the front passenger seat, and an adult male was driving. It’s not clear why Zondeair fell out of the SUV.
“He overcame a lot, having heart surgery at six months, and a lot of things that he’s been going through in life. But this is just something I would have never expected,” Robertson said.
She says she already misses seeing her grandson when she wakes up.
“The thousand I love yous a day, I’m definitely going to miss,” Robertson said. “He was my baby.”
Zondeair’s grandfather, Aeon Holton, says he will miss the way the 7-year-old greeted him and yelled “Pawpaw.”
“He changed my life for the better. At the end of the day, I was incarcerated. I came home, and that guy kept me strong. I’ve been holding it down. I’ve been there for him, his mother and all his other siblings, as well,” Holton said.
Zondeair’s grandparents say they’ll always remember his loving ways and how he cared for his younger siblings.
“We’re really going to miss him,” Holton said. “He’s a great kid. Heart of gold.”
Police say they’re still determining if the driver will face charges. He was arrested right after the incident on a warrant from 2023 for driving without a license and has since bonded out of jail.
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