South Fulton crash victim’s mom: ‘The tears are the ambitions that he had’

Chris Gonzalez holds a football and glove signed by teammates from Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn for his family. Gonzalez’s brother, Isaiah Gregory, was a defensive end on the football team.

Chris Gonzalez holds a football and glove signed by teammates from Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn for his family. Gonzalez’s brother, Isaiah Gregory, was a defensive end on the football team.

Photos splayed across the dining room table at Elke Velez's South Fulton County home showed her youngest son, Isaiah Gregory, at various stages of his young life. In many, he wore a football uniform.

“Anybody who knows Isaiah knows he loved baseball and basketball,” Velez said, smiling. “He wanted to be in the NFL, wanted to play baseball.”

She’ll no longer get to cheer him from the stands.

Isaiah, 15, and three other teens from south Fulton County's Langston Hughes High School died Monday in a horrific crash on Ga. 92 at Butner Road in South Fulton. A fifth teen is still hospitalized at Grady Memorial Hospital with broken bones and bleeding in the brain.

Velez and several of her children were waiting for Isaiah to get home Monday when son Chris Gonzalez saw a news story about the accident online. Isaiah’s best friend sent him a text as he was reading.

“I was like, ‘Where is Isaiah?’ They were like, ‘He was in the (SUV),’ ” Gonzalez said. “As soon as she texts me, another friend texts me. Then I got a message on Instagram.”

Gonzalez told Velez.

“I just fell,” she said. “It was like my heart was ripped out.”

Isaiah's friend, 16-year-old Cameron Jones, was driving. Fulton County authorities say he ran a red light and hit a tractor trailer. Ke'Ariy Lopez, 14, and 16-year-old Octavious Rhodes also died in the crash. A fifth teen, Lexus Todd, was the only survivor.

Velez said she went to Cameron’s house after learning of the accident to see what his mother knew. Judging by the number of cars outside, she figured it was true.

Ke’Ariy’s mom wasn’t aware of the accident when Velez arrived to tell her.

“It was just such a dark moment for us,” she said. “They were like brothers.”

Velez said she just met Lexus at the school several weeks ago.

“She came up to me and gave me a hug,” Velez said. “Said ‘Isaiah’s my brother. He’s the only friend that I have that understands me.’ ”

The phone has been ringing off the hook since Monday, Velez said. She’s welcomed visits from neighbors, church members and Isaiah’s friends, who’ve shared stories of how the teen had inspired them. One said the teen, through private conversations, saved his life.

Wednesday night, several hundred people packed Cliftondale Park in College Park for a vigil for the four teens. It ended with several balloons being released.

"The community has been overwhelming to me, and I think it's what's helping me other than having God in my life more than anything," she said. "The fact that so many loved him and he impacted so many lives."

Thursday, she took calls between asking questions, deciding details of Isaiah’s obituary ahead of Saturday’s funeral.

"Celebration of life" on the front.

Eleven to 1 for the viewing.

“We’ve got family coming from California, Oregon, Florida” she said. “I’m just trying to get to where everybody can come and get back to work. I don’t want to prolong it.”

In addition to Velez and Gonzalez, Isaiah is survived by his father, Francis Gregory, brothers Gabriel Velez and Trevor Gregory and sister Hannah Gregory. Services will be Saturday at F. L. Sims Funeral Home, 268 Broad Street in Fairburn. A GoFundMe established to help with the funeral had raised about $5,000 Thursday.

Thursday morning, she posted an update on Facebook to let everyone know how she was doing. She’s cried, she said. Mostly, tears of joy.

“The tears are the ambitions that he had” she said. “The tears are the kids that are crying. The tears are the joy, just the peace … the hug that I can’t give him. When I tell you I have joy in my heart knowing his purpose is continuing. His walk, the purpose he had, it’s flowing. That’s what he would have wanted.”

“I miss my baby, but I’m good.”