Young N.J. Boy Killed By Crash-Prone Bus Driver Needs A 'Proper Burial,' Friends Say

An accident-prone bus driver charged with killing an 11-year-old N.J. boy shouldn't have been driving, authorities said.

Raul O. Delatorre-Galarza, 44, was charged with killing the 11-year-old New Jersey boy on Friday while driving with a suspended license, having been in 10 accidents and having had nine license suspensions, authorities said.

The Elizabeth man was behind the wheel of a commuter van at about 8 a.m. Friday when it struck George Gonzalez on his way to catch his school bus, authorities reported to nj.com.

More than $10,000 was raised on his GoFundMe page by late Tuesday. A wake for Gonzalez will be held at Evergreen Funeral home on Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m.

Friends wrote this note on his GoFundMe page:

"We are starting this fundraiser to help the Gonzalez family through this hard time. Please do not over extend yourself but know that every penny helps! The family and friends of George Gonzalez are uniting to raise money to help the family. The 11-year-old boy who was hit by a commuter bus this morning died, the child, identified as George Gonzalez, was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center around 8:20 a.m. after being struck by the bus at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Neptune Avenue. We are asking that you please show your support so that we can give him a proper burial! But most of all, please keep this family in your prayers. God bless you all and thank you."

The 11-year-old, who lived with his aunt nearby in Jersey City, was pronounced dead a short time later at Jersey City Medical Center, according to the report. The bus driver had previously been cited for failing to stop for a pedestrian, twice for using a handheld device while driving and three times for failing to appear at court hearings.

Delatorre-Galarza has four current suspensions on his license issued on Aug. 24, Sept. 1, Sept. 13 and Oct. 5, from courts in Bayonne, Elizabeth and Jersey City. There are nine suspensions on Delatorre-Galarza's record dating back to at least 2010, according to the report.

People at the scene described the tragedy as it happened last week. Read more: Boy, 10, Struck And Killed By Bus In North Jersey: Cops

“It was like a big smack, it’s not like a car hit, it was a weird hit. You could feel it in your gut that it just wasn’t right," resident Mark Mitchell, who saw the boy in the neighborhood every day, told CBS2.

The accident happened at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Neptune Avenue around 8:30 a.m. Friday, according to News12. News12 reported the bus appeared to be a Jitney bus.

The boy was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center, where he later died. There was no confirmation whether his mother was with him at the time. But once her son was hit, neighbors said, she was frantic, CBS2’s Ali Bauman reported.

Residents told CBS2 that the buses are often seen speeding in the area. “These guys, you gotta let kids have the right of way, these guys like to rush, and kids they don’t know what they’re doing,” said neighbor Vichna Distant.

Photo: GoFundMe, George Gonzalez