Boy Dies After Being Hit by SUV During Church’s Trunk-or-Treat

An 11-year-old boy died Sunday after being hit by an SUV Friday night at a church’s trunk-or-treat event.

“My sweet Noah has got his angel wings and is in heaven now,” the boy’s grandmother, Renea Smith, says. “Please pray for the family as they try to cope with this loss.”

Noah Isaac Chambers was hit at about 7 p.m. in front of Bethel United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge, North Carolina. He was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in critical condition.

While Chambers was still on life support at the hospital, a GoFundMe account said his loved ones were “still praying for a miracle.” When Chambers passed away, the account’s organizer, Maria Hudson, asked people to “please keep praying for his family.”

Many in the community stopped by Bethel United Methodist Church to bring flowers, candy, balloons and more in Chambers’ memory.

Chambers’ father, Robert, says the pain of losing his son is unbearable, but he believes his death will mean life for others.

“Cherish the time that you have, because you never know, you never know when it’s their time,” he says. “Just love and be there as much as possible.”

Bethel United Methodist Church Pastor Leyton Alan Mears released a statement:

“Our hearts and prayers are with Noah and his family. All of us at Bethel UMC is [sic] deeply saddened by this accident and the tragic turn of events. Our focus at this time is providing care and support for all those involved.”

Chambers was a student Rockingham County Middle School, which also released a statement:

We wanted to extend our sincere condolences to the family of Noah Chambers. We are very sad for their loss and we will miss Noah so very much. Noah was a very sweet child and he was well liked by his friends and staff. We will have additional crisis counselors at RCMS tomorrow and for as long as we need them. We will also have a moment of silence in honor of Noah tomorrow morning. The students will also have the opportunity to make cards for the family of Noah so that they know we are thinking of them. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Noah Chambers and our RCMS family.

The aforementioned GoFundMe account is raising money to pay for Chambers’ medical and funeral expenses. A fundraiser on CustomInk is also raising money for the same purpose by selling shirts that say #NoahStrong.