Neighbors Shocked, Heartbroken After Concrete Planter Crushes 8-Year-Old Brooklyn Boy
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The city's buildings department is investigating a tragic accident that left a little boy dead in Brooklyn.
A small memorial of candles sits outside 2224 Ryder Street in Marine Park where 8-year-old Kevin Reilly was killed when a freak accident turned fatal.
Police said the boy was playing basketball when his ball bounced into the planter.
Kevin climbed on the window cage at ground level, police said. When he tried grabbing the concrete planter above it, the planter pulled away. The little boy fell straight backwards and the planter landed on his chest, CBS2's Tony Aiello reported.
The boy's mother was frantically trying to lift the heavy concrete planter off of her son.
"I saw her trying to lift something off of someone. So that must have been from the little boy," neighbor Rahjdul Kabir said. "She had a hard time lifting it. By the time I could get down, two other gentlemen ran over to help."
"I'm still shaking. I couldn't believe it because every morning I used to see him," Kabir's wife, Fatema, said. "He was a nice boy, a cute boy."
Kevin's younger sister Mia was present and witnessed the whole thing.
The victim and his family had only lived at the home for a couple of months, they've been renting while their house in Gerritsen Beach was worked on. Concrete planters are a common fixture in the neighborhood.
"There but for the grace of God go I. I had three sons, always playing outside, you always worry as a parent something horrible could happen. Pray it doesn't for this poor family it did. It's horrible," Laura Whealan said.
Down the street a CBS2 camera crew found a similar planter -- it was incredibly heavy.
It's a reminder that as we childproof to prevent danger inside the home, it's important to do the same outside.
"I wouldn't think of that. I know I wouldn't. Now, people gotta be careful and check everything," Bonnie Bayron said.
"You can't baby-proof the world. You take them to the park, anything could happen. It's just a freak accident," Whealan said.
A friend visiting the home Friday said the Reilly family was overcome with grief and was requesting privacy.
A Go Fund Me to help the family through the tragedy raised more than $20,000 in the space of three hours.
The City Department of Buildings is investigating.