‘He was a great person.’ Memorial held for Daezon Morgan at scene of fatal crash
Family and friends of Daezon Morgan gathered Monday night at the intersection where he was killed to release balloons in his memory.
Morgan, 25, died at University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital early on the morning of June 9. His motorcycle was hit on Richmond Road near Preston Avenue by a driver that has since been charged with second-degree manslaughter and driving under the influence.
Elijah Morgan, Daezon Morgan’s father, said people keep gathering in his son’s name because they want to see justice. But Monday night was a celebration of his life, he said.
“It means so much because he was a human being, his life was snuffed out. That’s why everybody’s here and that’s why it’s important,” Elijah Morgan said. “He was my son, and he was a great person, a great dad. And he left early, you know.”
On previous nights, protesters from downtown that are calling for police accountability marched down to gather with Daezon Morgan’s family. The protesters gathered downtown Monday for the eighteenth straight night.
Friends of Daezon Morgan have questioned the case against the man who is accused of hitting him, calling for a harsher charge. Matthew Patrick Starling, 30, the driver of the vehicle that hit Morgan’s motorcycle, was charged with second-degree manslaughter. Protesters and some of Daezon Morgan’s friends and family have said Starling should be charged with murder.
Monday night, Elijah Morgan said he is praying for Starling.
“I say God bless his soul,” Elijah Morgan said. “I pray for him, I pray for his family also. He’s had a great loss whether he realizes it or not.”
