Winter Garden boy, 12, taken off of life support after crash

Fox - 35 Orlando
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1 Video View·Nov 11, 2026
Now to a Fox 35 exclusive, a very sad story.
A 12-year-old boy named Rodney hit by a car
Monday night in Ocoee while his younger brother looked on.
His family and community just left heartbroken.
Alexis Clevenger is joining us live now.
So Alexis, you just spoke to a family friend
who says they're saying their final goodbyes.
Yeah, Lou Anne Jack, this is just absolutely heartbreaking.
That family friend says that 12 year old Rodney is like a nephew
to her and she says that he was taken off life support not too long ago.
She says that right now she's just trying to be there
for Rodney's mother and her other children
as they face this unimaginable tragedy. Rodney Rodney.
Was a sweet boy. He loved music. He loved singing.
He loved listening to Z88.3 and singing
along. He loved going to vacation Bible school at our church.
Those memories are especially
personal for Christy Reynolds.
She's like an aunt to 12-year-old Rodney Jean Thomas
and says more than anything, he adored his family.
Loved his family, loved his brothers,
was a good big brother to his two younger brothers.
On Monday, his family's world forever changed.
Rodney was hit by a car on Old Winter Garden Road.
Mom had said, don't go near the road.
And he was playing with a friend and had his little brother with him.
And they decided that they were going to try to cross the road.
And it was dark.
There are not many streetlights there.
He was airlifted to the hospital.
Ocoee police say the driver of the car stayed at the scene.
Reynolds says Rodney was removed from life support late this afternoon.
Everybody's been coming to see Rodney
and basically to say their goodbyes to him.
The community is wrapping their arms around his family.
He went to Thornbrook Elementary School.
They've been wonderful, and we're just so sorry for all of his friends,
and it's a hard thing for kids to try to wrap their brain around.
The school released a statement saying their hearts remain
with their student and family following Monday evening's accident.
Reynolds says that Rodney's family
needs all of the love and support
during this time that Ocoee police
are still investigating that crash.
Live in Ocoee, Alexis Clevenger, Fox 35 news.
