Mom of 'energetic' 10-year-old killed in hit-and-run recalls his love of bikes, outdoors

PEORIA — Troy Erving was an energetic young boy who loved to ride his bike and loved to be with his friends, his mother says.

The 10-year-old was on that bike and returning from seeing friends last week when he was struck while riding home, allegedly by a Peoria woman, and died a few days later.

Troy's mother, Ariel Ivory, can only sit and wonder why. She wants to know why the alleged driver, Karrie Brunswig, was still on the road despite a prior DUI charge this year and several citations for driving without a license.

And she wants to know why her son, who loved basketball, Air Jordan shoes and being outside, is now dead.

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Troy was riding his bike home at about 7:15 p.m. Nov. 9 in the 1600 block of Northeast Glen Oak Avenue when he was struck.

Arrested a day later, Brunswig is facing charges of leaving the scene of a personal-injury accident and driving on a suspended license. She remains in Peoria County Jail on $1 million bond in the case.

Playing basketball and dressing well

Troy loved to be outside, his mother said. He was on a basketball team at Proctor Recreation Center and was waiting to hear whether he made the team at Lincoln K-8 School.

"He loved to shoot," Ivory said of her son. "He was a point guard as he was so little. But he could throw up the ball."

He played baseball for a bit for his church, Grace Baptist, she added.

He also loved to dress well. He liked Nike Swishes and Air Jordans. His mother said he had 10 pairs and liked to match the shoes with his clothing.

"His favorite color was purple. He always loved purple. His dad loved it, so he took after his dad," she said.

He had just gotten his bike, an electric-powered, dirt-bike-style bicycle, a few months ago as a gift from his aunt and uncle. A cousin of the same age also got one, and the two were riding around together all the time, Ivory said.

HIs uncle, who lived nearby, would take him to a school parking lot or even to Morgan Park to let him ride around.

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Last Tuesday, Troy was at a friend's house playing video games — Call of Duty was his favorite — and playing basketball. His mother wanted him to head home as it was dark.

The bike had a light and reflectors, but she doesn't know what happened.

"From my understanding — and they didn't tell me everything — I don't know if he thought it was clear and getting ready to cross the street to get home," she said. "He had no chance to brace himself. ..."

'He was always so happy'

Riding bikes was a passion for him. He learned to ride one when he was less than 2 years old, Ivory said.

"He loved bikes. He was a year and a half when we saw him outside riding one without training wheels on," she said. "He loved all kinds of bikes. Scooters, too."

Ivory said Troy was a happy young boy and his death has shown her how many lives he touched at Lincoln and also his old school, Dr. Maude A. Sanders Primary School.

"Everyone loved him. People who I couldn't tell who they were from a can of paint have been telling me about him. A lot knew him. He was always so happy. He'd give you his last, and if something wrong was going on, he was very helpful," she said.

To that end, the family had his organs donated. It's what he would have wanted, Ivory said.

"I know Troy was a loving and giving person. I'd rather help someone else who needs them. He has five younger brothers, and if he knew they needed something, he would have given it to them."

Troy was the oldest of the six boys but younger than his three sisters, she said.

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A funeral hasn't been set for the little boy, though his mother thinks it could be this weekend. A vigil is planned for 4 p.m. Tuesday at the spot where he was struck on Glen Oak Avenue near its intersection with Prospect Road. Ivory chose the time so his friends from school could come by, she said.

And she wants justice for the woman accused of hitting her son and then driving off.

"There was no reason she should have been on the street in the first place," she said. "I want her to get the real justice she deserves."

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Mom memorializes 10-year-old Troy Erving killed in Peoria hit-and-run