A 4-year-old boy died on Friday after he was critically injured in a crash in Bridgeport earlier this week, according to his family.
"I still can't believe it," said Ashley Aquino, the mother of Noah Rodriguez.
Rodriguez's family, of Bridgeport, told News 12 Connecticut, "Our brave little boy passed away at Yale Children's Hospital in New Haven, surrounded by his loving family."
"It's so hard. I just lost my person. That was my other half," 23-year-old Aquino told News 12 Connecticut about her sister on Wednesday.
Aquino was in the passenger seat next to Torres.
"They laid my little boy next to me and I just lost it," Aquino said on Wednesday.
Speaking off camera on Saturday, Aquino said she is grateful for the four years she got to spend with her son.
People came to pay their respects at a memorial for Torres, which included tributes for Rodriguez as well.
Aquino said she and his 1-year-old brother Noel were both in the back seat of the car when it was struck from behind by a Buick which ended up flipping over. She shared a video of Noel who she said was also critically injured but is now doing much better – “stable and on the road to recovery."
It was a welcomed ray of hope following what Aquino described as the most painful week of her life.
The family started a
GoFundMe page to help pay for Noah's funeral.
Police are still investigating and said the driver of the other car was also hospitalized, but they had no information on his condition as of Saturday night.