A 9-year-old Polk County boy was killed in a car crash Thursday night. Now his family is faced with figuring out how to move on.

  • Ivan Moncada, 9, killed in Polk City crash off U.S. Highway 33
  • Ivan was with his father, Pedro, driving back from the grocery store
  • Car collided with truck on the side of the roadway

Prior to Thursday, Ivan Moncada, 9, was preparing to attend Davenport School of the Arts in the Fall. Family members say Ivan loved to fish, and loved spending time with his cousin and best friend, Zanye Lopez.

“Ivan was an amazing little boy," said Ivan's aunt, Veronica Lopez. "He was so full of life and he’s my son’s best friend. And our family is devastated that he’s not here with us today."

Investigators say Ivan’s father, Pedro, was driving south on U.S. Highway 33 in Polk City Thursday night when he collided with the back of a parked semi truck on the side of the road. Family members say father and son were on their way home from the grocery store. They believe Pedro was pointing out something in the sky to Ivan when he veered off the road.

Lopez could barely talk through the tears as she explained how the family is coping with the loss.

“To be perfectly honest, his parents are inconsolable," said Lopez. "His father is unable to speak. He wishes it was him instead. Every parent would, I suppose."

Other family members and friends are also struggling to make sense of it all.

“Even though he was quiet, he was probably one of the most fun little boys I could ever play with," said Noris Peguero, another of Ivan's cousins. "He will never be forgotten.”

“I think at this point we all hold our children a little tighter," said family friend Winne Harvey. "We forgive a little bit more. We talk to them more.”

“He was just such a great kid and he was so sweet," said Lopez. "And he was so kind, and if he thought that maybe he was in your way, he would, you know, say 'I’m sorry.' He was just a great little boy. Just a loss that is unimaginable."

The family says they never could’ve imagined they would have to bury a child so young, and thus were not prepared financially. They have set up a GoFundMe page for those who might wish to help with funeral expenses.

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