13-year-old dies after dirt bike crash

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The mother of a 13-year-old who died as a result of a dirt bike crash Tuesday believes her son may have been targeted for his bike.

Moments after Jyquez Evans crashed into a box truck at the intersection of Moreland Avenue and Henrico Road, someone jumped on his bike and took off.

"I saw him lying there. I look up, and I see the other guy starting the dirt bike as that poor kid was on the ground hurt, and he just got on it like it was nothing and started going down the road," witness Phillip Colvin said.

Jyquez suffered serious injuries in the crash and died at the hospital Wednesday.

“I still don’t know how to feel. That’s my baby,” his mother, Shatara Churn, said.

Police say Jyquez was doing wheelies, ran a red light and crashed into a box truck, but his mother says there are still many unanswered questions.

“Who’s to say they didn’t bump his back wheel,” she said. “They might have wanted it that bad, that’s the way they had to get it from him.”

Police say they have no evidence of the teen being targeted.

Colvin snapped several photos as the man sped off on the dirt bike and sent them to police.

"I started chasing him, taking pictures while I was chasing him. When he finally saw me, he turned down Confederate (Avenue) to get away from me," he said.

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Colvin said he hopes his pictures will help police with their investigation.

"I'm hoping that since he's local, other people will see it and catch the kid. I put it on social media myself," he said.

Police said the teen was too young to be operating the bike on the road, and the bike was likely not street legal. Churn says her son knew that she did not approve of him riding the bike on a busy road, and no one knew he left the home on the bike.

Police say whoever took the bike will face charges when caught.

“Low down, dirty, whatever you want to call them. That’s what type of person it was,” Churn said. “If the law don’t catch you, God will keep that on your mind and keep that on your heart. Know that my 13-year-old boy is gone and I'll never see him again."

Jyquez was a twin. His family called him Red. His siblings told Channel 2’s Liz Artz in an exclusive interview that he was the boss of the house and their home will never be the same.

“It's going to be real quiet if he ain’t here. There's no noise, no one calling our momma to come get him,” his sister said.

Even school for twin brother Tyrez will be a different place come Tuesday.

“When I walk through the hallway and I see him, he would talk some junk and run. Now, I ain’t going to see him,” Tyrez said.

One of Jyquez’s teachers broke down in tears while talking about the “brilliant young scholar.”

“You knew certain kids could change the world. That's all I keep thinking,” teacher Chemily Thomas said.

Cox Media Group