DETROIT (WXYZ) — A young boy was riding a four-wheeler when he was hit and killed by a vehicle on Detroit's east side Saturday afternoon.
Family identified him as 9-year-old Mai’Juan Calderin.
This happened around 2:50 p.m. in the 19600 block of Andover, according to Detroit Police. The at-fault driver, a male, was driving a black Dodge Charger when he collided with the boy. Police say he was traveling the wrong way on a one way street and was going at a high rate of speed. Neighbors estimate it was close to 100 miles per hour.
“My baby, I love him, I miss him so much," said the boy's mother, Sophfronia Dalton. "I really can't feel right now that my baby is not here.”
In the blink of an eye, Calderin was taken from his mother. He was riding the four-wheeler out in front of his house when he was struck.
“I just want people to know, slow down man, there’s kids out here," Dalton said. "I shouldn't have to bury my son.”
Mai’Juan was a fourth grader at Great Oaks Academy in Warren. His mom says he was the captain of his basketball team at the Boys and Girls club. She says he was always looking out for her, even helping her cook.
“My son was the love of my life," Dalton said. "We did everything together. He completed me. He grounded me. He made me whole.”
The four-wheeler was a recent gift and Mai’Juan loved to ride it. The driver who hit him, tried driving off until neighbors stopped him.
“My nephew blocked the car off, blocked him in so he couldn't get away,” said neighbor Michael Pope.
The driver and a passenger of the Charger were both arrested. The Charger was towed from the scene with visible damage to the front and dealer plates on the back.
“People driving down the street speeding in these race cars, SRTs, Chargers and Challengers, they ran my son down like that and tried to keep going,” Dalton said.
Even with those responsible now behind bars, the pain is still unbearable. However the love a mother has for her son never fades, and the love he has for her won’t either.
“My baby, I love him so much," Dalton said. "Y’all pray for me man, please pray for me.”
