GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids teenager went on a Christmas vacation with family to Mexico and was killed while waiting in line at the US-Mexico border.
Noe Parra,17, was a senior at Central High School when he was hit by a truck on December 21, 2013. His girlfriend was holding his hand until paramedics arrived.
The family was near the end of the four-hour line to cross into Mexico when Parra got out to use the restroom.
“All he ever wanted to do was bring me places I’ve never been,” said Mercedes Mast. Mast had been dating Parra for the past four years.
Parra wanted to show his girlfriend Mercedes his Mexican culture by bringing her to meet his family in Mexico over Christmas break.
“He packed bags of clothes for his family down there because they needed it more than he did and he knew that,” said Mast.
After using the restroom, Mercedes said that the two crossed the street to get back into his parent’s vehicle.
“I was crossing the street and I seen the truck coming in the corner of my eye, and I just kept thinking, run Noe, hurry. Then he was there, and then the truck passed, and then he wasn’t there anymore,” said Mast.
The driver of the truck told Laredo, Texas police that she looked over at Mercedes, unaware Noe was crossing after her.
“Then I seen her slam on her breaks, and he flew off the hood of her truck into the cement, and he just laid there,” said Mast.
The family said that after the decision was made to pull him off life support, they opened gifts Noe had wrapped for them. Mercedes said that she sat on the hospital bed next to Noe to open the gift he got special for her.
“He got me a beautiful pair of boots, the ones that I had been wanting,” said Mast.
According to Laredo police, the woman who hit Noe with her vehicle was not arrested and isn’t facing any charges because the teen wasn’t walking in a marked crosswalk.
The family is accepting donations to help pay for Noe’s funeral expenses. A memorial fund has been set up at any Lake Michigan Credit Union. Anyone wishing to help the family just needs to tell the teller they would like to donate to the “Noe Parra Memorial Fund.”
