And Ethan's mother isn't the only one grieving for their youngest child. Rosa Vellos is still trying to figure out how her son, 30-year-old Elias Vellos, was knocked down on the Philip Goldson Highway on Saturday night. The driver of the vehicle told police that he was travelling towards Sandhill and he saw the vehicle in front of him swerve to the left, so he followed. That's when he saw Vellos on his bicycle and tried to avoid hitting him, but it was too late.
Today Courtney Menzies spoke to Vellos' mother and an eyewitness to try to piece together what happened on the highway. Here is that story.
30-year-old Elias Vellos was riding home on his bicycle just before curfew on Saturday when he was hit by a vehicle between miles 9 and 10 on the Philip Goldson Highway. Vellos died on the spot and according to one eyewitness, it was a gruesome scene:
Voice of: Miracle Stewart, Eyewitness
"When we heard somebody said, the man dead and they were pointing over the other side so we jump over the veranda and we gone hurry. We saw parts of brains on the lady pants and lot of blood on her cut to her forehead and hand."
Courtney Menzies:
"She was in the vehicle?"
Voice of: Miracle Stewart, Eyewitness
"Yes but she came out. Three of them were out of the car crying.My cousin he went over there and he said the whole scalp was off and inside you could see the inside of the head."
But his family didn't learn about his death until the following day and his grief-stricken mother said she suspected something was wrong when he didn't go to visit her.
Rosa Vellos, Mother of Deceased
"My son come everyday 6:30 and he will eat and bathe. But Saturday he didn't come, and tell my daughter that my son didn't come but he doesn't have any phone for me to call him and then Sunday morning about 10:30 the police come and tell me- the man had his social security and he asked who and I told him it's my son and he tell me he dead."
"My son is a good person, he doesn't drink, sometimes he will drink but he doesn't give me or anybody else problem. He has a lot of friends and he chops yard and he's working and he was coming from work when they kill my son."
And while she's still waiting for information from the police, today the communications officer told us 25-year-old Delawn Abraham was driving the vehicle that hit Vellos. ASP Fitzroy Yearwood said he wasn't sure if Abraham had been drinking, but that the lack of lighting may have been a factor.
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Officer
"Very very dark. The road itself is made of that hot mix material that is very dark at night. The lighting on that side of the road, almost next to impossible. I know that the road itself isn't properly marked, no reflectors to help with the- marks for you to stay on your side. It is unfortunate that someone lost their life but I hope this will prompt some form of improvement when he comes to the lighting."
The driver was served with an NIP.
