Mom of Edison 5th grader fatally struck by car: He 'was my whole world'

EDISON, New Jersey (WABC) -- Grief counseling is being offered to the classmates and teachers of a fifth grader who was struck and killed by a car in New Jersey Friday.

Eleven-year-old Askari Moore was skateboarding in the parking lot in apartment complex near his home in Edison when he was struck by the driver of a 2009 Honda Accord around 7 p.m.

He was pronounced dead at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

"Askari was my whole world," mom Shakera Moore said. "Just me and him. He was a gentle giant and loving, and he came through a lot."

In the face of the worst tragedy of her life, Shakera Moore chose to speak more about the son that gave her purpose -- a child she bore despite her sickle cell anemia -- rather than the accident that took his life.

"I was told I couldn't have kids," she said. "While I was carrying him, they said get rid of him because he's going to kill you. You will die."

She and her best friend survived and thrived thank to each other -- a hard-working, dedicated mother and a doting son. Their last words to each other came just before he left.

"He said, 'Ma, I love you, I'm going to ride my skateboard,'" she said. "I said, 'I love you, be careful.' That was always our thing."

Witnesses say the driver lost control of her car as she was leaving a parking space, slamming into dumpsters, parked cars, ultimately, Askari on his skateboard. n

Askari was known by a lot of people in the complex, and neighbors raised thousands of dollars to help his family.

"Nobody said a bad thing about my son, that he was well mannered, and I pride myself on that," Shakera Moore said. "And to hear his friends say that, gave me strength. He was my angel."

So far, no charges have been filed, and the identity of the driver is being withheld.

The investigation is active and is continuing.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Joseph Chonka of the Edison Police Department at (732) 248-7400, or Detective Donald Heck of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at (723) 745-3300.