Two young best friends were remembered fondly by neighbors and friends on the field where they once practiced the sport they loved.
Latrelle Pearson, 10, and Xavier Williams, 9, died Sunday in a rollover crash on Interstate 15 near Deer Springs Road.
The children were passengers in a minivan that flipped in a collision with another car while traveling southbound on the highway.
CHP investigators say both children were ejected from the vehicle and died from their injuries. While Pearson was not wearing his seatbelt, Williams was restrained but partially ejected from the car officials said.
On Wednesday, the Skyline community where the children lived came together to cheer for them one last time and to remember the difference they made at such a young age.
The pain is undeniable.
"He was an exceptional young man. He loved sports. He loved these types of activities,” said Pearson’s uncle Allen Duncan.
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With candles lit and teary eyes, those here say the boys, who each wore jerseys with the number 3, are gone too soon but will forever live in their hearts.
"He was just one of the smartest kids there ever was, just a wonderful kid,” said Williams’ grandmother Cheryl Ruffin Robinson. “He still is a wonderful kid. He's here now. Watching us."
Officers said they need to find witnesses who may have been traveling behind the cars involved in the crash.
They specifically need witnesses who were traveling southbound on I-15 north of Deer Springs around 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Drivers who may have information can call the Oceanside area office during business hours at (760) 757-1675 or The Border Communications Center at (858) 637-3800.
A fundraiser for the families involved in the accident will be held Saturday at noon at Admiral Baker Field in Mission Valley.
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