“He was just a good kid doing something good for someone,” a Texas A&M University-Commerce official said of student, Javion Thomas
A student from Texas A&M University-Commerce died after he was involved in an accident while helping someone in need, the school confirmed.
Javion Thomas, a 19-year-old electrical engineering major from Dallas, died on Tuesday from injuries that he sustained in the tragic incident, according to a statement from his university.
Michael Johnson, the executive director of marketing and communications at the university, told The Herald Banner that Thomas was on his way back to campus when he noticed someone on Culver Street in Commerce with a stalled car.
“He stopped to help the person. At some point after stopping, an accident occurred and Javion was injured, and he later passed away from those injuries,” Johnson explained to the outlet. “He was just a good kid doing something good for someone.”
Thomas’s aunt, Veronica Lynch-Davis, added to a local radio station, KRLD, that the broken-down car belonged to her nephew’s friend.
Despite having a back injury, Lynch-Davis said Thomas was among a group of people who were helping push the vehicle and that it eventually lost control and struck the 19 year old.“He was the one who had major surgery on his spine,” she explained to KRLD. “He was always wanting to help and willing to help. And at one time, because of his spine, he couldn’t help pick up things anymore and he hated it when he moved in because we had to help him. And that was not in his nature.”
In the wake of the tragedy, a GoFundMe page was set up for Thomas’ family to assist with funeral expenses. So far, the fundraiser has brought in over $8,000.
Texas A&M University-Commerce also announced they would be lowering their university flag to half-staff on Thursday in memory of Thomas, as well as offering counseling services to any students who needed them.
While loved ones continue to grieve, Thomas’ mother, Tracci Lynch, has been expressing her heartbreak in a number of posts on Facebook.
“You are my world, my strength, my joy. You held me up when I felt like falling apart and that was never your job, but after your granddad passed, you stepped up, making sure that our entire family was good,” she wrote in a touching tribute, alongside several photos of the pair.