SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Pacific Beach community gathered today to remember Hudson O'Loughlin, a 6-year-old boy killed in a hit-and-run crash last month while riding his bike with his family.
A memorial service was held at Crown Point Elementary School, followed by the installation of a ghost bike at the crash site on Pacific Beach Drive. Ghost bikes are white-painted bicycles placed as roadside memorials to honor cyclists killed in traffic accidents.
Hudson was riding his bike with his family on January 17 when a woman hit him and drove away. The first-grader died from his injuries. The accused driver was arrested at her home a few hours later.
"We place this bike not only in memory of our precious boy, but as a call for change. No family should lose a child this way," Hudson's mother, Juliana Kapovich, said at the service.
Kapovich called for safer streets, slower roads, and greater care for cyclists during her remarks.
Family members, friends, bike safety advocates, and community members attended the memorial. Hudson's aunt flew in from Rhode Island to be present for the ceremony.
After the service, attendees walked two blocks together to the crash site, carrying blue and orange windmills and wearing Hudson's favorite colors: blue, orange, and camouflage.
The driver accused in the crash has been charged with hit-and-run, vehicular manslaughter, and driving without a license. She pleaded not guilty last week and is currently out on bail.
A funeral for Hudson is scheduled for family and close friends tomorrow.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
