Just before 9 a.m. on Tuesday, 16-year-old Jerry Nguyen stepped out of a friend's Volkswagen Beetle in front of Bryan Adams High school to wait for his bus. He was struck and killed a few moments later as the car was executing a U-turn.
Nguyen studied science and engineering at Dallas ISD's Townview Magnet, where his friendly nature apparently made an impression on friends and teachers. They launched an online fundraiser on Wednesday night to help the family with funeral costs and other expenses.
It took less than a day to reach their $10,000 goal, thanks in large part to Todd Williams, the executive director of Commit!, a non-profit aimed at boosting school achievement.
"I am so very, very sorry for your loss," he wrote in a note accompanying his $5,189 donation, which let the drive hit its goal. "Bryan Adams is my alma mater and I hope the successful raise of this fund enables others to know that some good came from this very tragic event."
Rather than leave things there, however, organizers have upped their goal to $25,000 in hopes of setting up a scholarship in Nguyen's name. They are accepting donations here.
