A 13-year-old boy died just days after being involved in a tragic electric bicycle accident, authorities said.
Everett Police said in a release that the 13-year-old boy, later identified by his family as Emiliano “Emi” Munoz, died in a bike accident on Friday, May 2. Munoz crashed into a braided cable strung between a fence post and a traffic bollard around 4:30 p.m. local time.
The Everett Fire and Police Departments, along with their Traffic Safety Unit, all responded to the incident, police said. Munoz was taken to Harborview Medical Center, but he died of his injuries three days later, on Monday, May 5.
The cable has been removed, and the Everett Police Department is investigating the incident, according to officials.
A GoFundMe campaign to help his surviving family members has already raised over $21,000. Munoz was described as “a beloved student” who was “known for his warm spirit and kind smile.”
“He was a true friend to many & will never be forgotten,” the GoFundMe adds.
“I am absolutely heartbroken about this tragic loss,” Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said in a statement provided to HeraldNet. “Please keep this child’s loved ones and his Explorer Middle School community in your thoughts as they grieve.”
A representative from the Mukilteo School District, where Munoz attended Explorer Middle School, stated that the school is working with counselors and therapy dogs to comfort students, beginning with his friends and classmates. She also mentioned that there have been informal community gatherings outside campus.
“I have heard from many people in the community, even those who did not know him, that this tragedy has hit our community hard,” Diane Bradford, a spokesperson for the Mukilteo School District, told PEOPLE in a statement. “We send our deepest condolences to Emiliano’s family and loved ones.”