Aaron May's family worries speeders in their South Knoxville neighborhood could claim other children's lives

Aaron May's mother says she watched a movie at home with her 15-year-old son this weekend, and they really enjoyed it.

Then they had their last conversation Sunday afternoon, as he left their south Knoxville home to go sledding.

"I told him, 'I love you, be careful, have fun.' And he said 'I love you infinity and beyond!' And he was out the door. And the next thing I knew, he had been run over," Robin May said.

Aaron May sledded down a hill on a neighboring street and slid under a car. Knoxville Police officers were called to Sims Road at Avenue B, after they got a call about a pedestrian hit by a car, shortly before 1:30 Sunday afternoon.

Police charged the driver, 32-year-old Eric Goad, with failing to show proof of financial responsibility and driving on a suspended license.

The driver wasn't charged with speeding, but Aaron May's family said speeding is chronic in their neighborhood.

Robin May even convinced the city to put up signs near their home on Avenue A, warning drivers of her handicapped child. The cancer treatments left Aaron mentally disabled.

"But they still speed down the road, and I told them we were going to lose a child, but I never knew it would be mine," Robin May said through sobs.

Her sister, Aaron's aunt, is trying to make sense of the family's loss. "They say everything happens for a reason, we don't always know why. But I can't find any reason for this one," Kristie Cox said.

Aaron's mother keeps a scrapbook of her son's journey through cancer treatment. It chronicles his trips to St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, visits to game rooms and Graceland, and his radiation and chemotherapy sessions. Aaron was making progress.

"He got to go back to school and was actually making friends again, and unfortunately, he battled all that just to get took out having fun," Cox said.

Neighbors are collecting money to help the family pay for a funeral they can't afford.

"I can rent a coffin and cremate him and bury him on top of my daddy's grave, but I didn't really want to do that," Robin May said. "I know he's in Heaven. He's in a much better place. But I just want my baby back."

Neighbors organized a vigil Monday night at the site of the accident, Sims Road at Avenue B in South Knoxville.