DENVER (KDVR) — Family members have identified 3-year-old Lyndreth “Sage” Antone as the child killed in a New Year’s Eve hit-and-run crash in southwest Denver.
That crash happened around 6:30 Thursday evening near the intersection of Morrison Road and Lowell Boulevard.
The suspect, 23-year-old Jordan Montiel-Velazquez, is being held for investigation of leaving the scene of an accident.
Sage’s father Armando says the two were crossing Morrison Road when a truck hit Sage, and kept driving.
“I saw nothing but the headlight, I saw the grill of his truck. I saw my son get taken away from me,” he says. “I let him know he wasn’t going to be left alone, and I was going to be there with him.”
Friday night, a few dozen people gathered at the scene of the crash, leaving behind candles, toys and stuffed animals.
“He’s touched a lot of lives, and this is evidence of it,” said Carl Martinez. “We’re here to honor him, and honor the life that he lived, and we’re celebrating that life right now.”
Sage’s uncle, William Sauer, says the boy loved everyone he met and was always smiling.
“He was just always happy to play with everybody, tell everybody, ‘I love you,’ come and give everybody hugs, even people he didn’t even know,” says Sauer.
An account has been set up to help pay for Sage’s funeral expenses.