‘My sweet baby boy’: Broward student dies after being hit by a Tesla near high school
The mother of a Cooper City High student is mourning her 16-year-old son after a Tesla hit him while he was riding a scooter outside the school Monday.
Anthony Malec died a day later at the hospital after suffering a “severe brain injury,” his mother Ashley Thomas posted on Facebook.
“My sweet baby boy,” she wrote in the post.
The Broward Education Fund set up an online fundraiser to support the family of Anthony, a “beloved junior” at Cooper City High School.
“Anthony’s kindness left an indelible mark on the hearts of all who knew him,” the nonprofit said. “His spirit touched countless lives in our Cowboy community. Forever in our hearts, Anthony’s spirit will continue to shine brightly, reminding us to cherish each moment and to spread kindness wherever we go.”
Just after 8 a.m. Monday, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Fritznie Jarbeth, 40, was driving east on Stirling Road in a 2022 Tesla Model X when Anthony — riding a stand-up electric scooter — began to cross the road diagonally near Cooper City High School, 9401 Stirling Rd.
That’s when, BSO noted, the student “rode into the path of the Tesla and was struck.”
READ MORE: Broward student critically injured after Tesla hit scooter near school, deputies say
Anthony was not in a designated crosswalk as he crossed Stirling Road, according to the sheriff’s office. Neither excessive speed nor impairment are believed to be factors in the crash.
A police dispatcher told first responders the child was bleeding from the head and lying on the roadway.
The “child is not moving,” the dispatcher said.
Anthony was taken in critical condition to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Broward Sheriff Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Michael Kane said.
Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami’s helicopter crew reported seeing blood, a scooter and a red Tesla with damage to its windshield. The Tesla driver stayed near the crash site, the sheriff’s office said.
Vera Perkovic, the principal at Cooper City High School, told parents in an email that counselors are available to students.
“I want you to know we remain in close communication with the student’s family and will do everything we can to provide support during this difficult time,” Perkovic said.
This story was originally published March 18, 2024 at 9:46 AM with the headline "‘My sweet baby boy’: Broward student dies after being hit by a Tesla near high school."
