ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Family and friends of 21-year-old Taj Palmer say they are outraged and heartbroken. His mother says she wants answers and to know who is responsible for her son’s death.
“I just wanna know why,” said Ms. Proctor, Palmer’s mother. “Why did you keep going? What did my son do to you?”
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Palmer was hit by a car while crossing Silver Star Road without using a crosswalk near Le Havre Boulevard around 11 p.m. Monday night. Troopers say while the first driver was helping Palmer, a second vehicle — identified as a blue Chevrolet Malibu — struck them both. Palmer was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
“It’s hard because I’m already dealing with another child that’s in the hospital,” Proctor said. “It happened at the same time that my youngest son was going in for surgery.”
FHP says the second driver got out of his car to check on his vehicle and then drove away. Friends say that decision has left them angry and searching for justice. “That is just so wrong,” said Antoinette Brand, a friend of Palmer. “To whoever did that — they didn’t even come and apologize. They didn’t have any sympathy. They didn’t come to apologize or show their face.”
This year, Silver Star Road has seen eight pedestrian crashes between Mercy Drive and Good Homes Road. Taj Palmer is the only fatality. Friends say more needs to be done to prevent another tragedy. “They need to put more signs at crosswalks like they have on the trail to prevent these kinds of things from happening,” said family friend Linda Harrell.
Palmer’s mother, sister, and friends describe him as loving and caring, with his whole life ahead of him. They say they are planning a memorial in his honor. “I pray that God finds you and you get locked up for life, because you just took my son’s life,” Proctor said. “I won’t be able to see him anymore.”
The family has also set up a GoFundMe to help cover Palmer’s funeral expenses.
FHP says the criminal investigation is still ongoing, and if you have any information, please contact FHP.