Tonight, an 18 year old is dead and his family is grieving for a young life lost too close to home.
Luis Montoya was turning off the Phillip Goodson highway between miles 10 and 11 into his family's street this morning when he was fatally hit. Jaleeza Roberts was on the scene and here's her story:
Grieving relatives on the side of the highway this morning - looking powerlessly at a motorbike that carried their loved one Luis Montoya.
A week after celebrating his 18th birthday, he was clipped this morning by a freight truck while traveling between miles 10 and 11 on the Phillip Goldson Highway to his father's home.
Montoya had just come from Orange Walk from seeing his mom this morning and borrowed his cousin's motorcycle so that he could purchase food and go to work.
ASP Stacy Smith says that he was hit while turning at the intersection:
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer
"What the investigation has shown so far is that Montoya is alleged to have been seeking to make a left turn off the highway and at that time a freight truck which was traveling in the same direction sought to overtake the motorcycle and this resulted in a collision and the untimely passing of Mr.Montoya. The driver of that vehicle has since been served with a notice of intended prosecution."
The family members were gathered at the scene in disbelief that the young man they just saw leave their home on Old Well Road died almost instantaneously on a bike that wasn't even his:
Voice of: Luis Alberto Montoya, Uncle
"Yes, and he gone to work and he borrow the cycle from my son to come get some breakfast and go back to work."
Reporter
"So it wasn't his cycle that he was on? It was my son's cycle."
Luis Alberto Montoya, Uncle
"Yeah, they said they knock him. He already crossed the road when the truck overtaking and knock him."
"(And nearly killed two other ladies who was set up over there. And he run all the way over there and stop."
The 18 year old was employed at a bag making factory nearby and that's how he got his source of income.
Luis Alberto Montoya, Uncle
"Yeah, he was a good boy working and doing good for his life."
Reporter
"He just turned 18. How does this affect the family?"
Luis Alberto Montoya, Uncle
"Well, this is hard for me. It's very hard."
He was the youngest child in his family but his uncle said that they often warned them about motorcycle use.
Jules Vasquez
"You know, motorcycles have a lot of fatal accidents. Were you ever concerned that your son or your nephew would be in an accident like this?"
Luis Alberto Montoya, Uncle
"Sure, sure. All the time I tell him, be careful when you get on the road because it's dangerous to drive a cycle."
And today as the family did their duty by washing away his bloodstains from the pavement, there's no wiping away the memory of how young life was lost so quickly and so close to home.
Montoya was wearing a helmet but it had broken during the accident. Jaleeza Roberts, 7 News.
The driver of the freight truck has been issued a notice of intended prosecution.
