BROOKLYN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CROSSING STREET KILLED BY S.U.V.

From: New York attorney Gary E. Rosenberg (personal injury and accident attorney and lawyer; serving Brooklyn Queens Bronx; Brooklyn Injury Attorney)

On Monday November 1, 2010 a BMW S.U.V. mowed down 13 year-old Sarah Parris of Brooklyn, who wanted to become a nurse, as she and two friends crossed Rockaway Parkway in the middle of the block near Avenue J when she was hit by a white BMW at around 7:50 a.m., police said.

The BMW went on to hit a parked Nissan.

The high school student was thrown into the air. She was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

"I just saw her laying on the street and blood," said a sobbing Akili Charles, 14, one of the two friends with Sarah, who described her friend as "cool with everybody."

"If you're sad or something, she'd come and talk to you," Akili said.

The distraught pal said a passing school-bus driver had spotted the girls trying to cross the street, and put out its stop sign to help them make it safely to the other side, but the BMW "kept going."

The car's driver, Mohamed Diakite, 35, of Philadelphia, has not been charged, sources said.

Police said there was no evidence of criminality.

Sarah lived with her mother, Brenda Parris, and brother, David Clarke, 22.

The teen's grieving mom, surrounded by family members at her sister's home, said, "I think I'm in a dream. I keep thinking they'll call and tell me my daughter is OK and she's going to wake up."

She said her only daughter was to turn 14 next month and they were planning a special trip to Pennsylvania.

Clarke said his little sister "was a beautiful person, always smiling, and she didn't let anyone bring her down."

The teen loved the Twilight saga and adored the late Michael Jackson, and "every night she'd sing all his songs," he said.

She was very bright, very energetic and a prankster "whose weapon of choice was a stink bomb," her brother said.

City Councilman Charles Barron, who met with family members, said Sarah's relatives are "hoping that something positive can come out of this."

"Maybe speed bumps in front of every school to slow drivers down and hopefully send a message if you come near a school, slow down, no matter what the situation is," he said.

"There's her blood and sneaker and a paper in the street."