'Our spirits are crushed': Mother grieves loss of 10-year-old son who was fatally struck by pickup truck

Drayko Gaudlip loved riding his scooter and playing basketball.

Last week, his life was cut short.

“Our spirits are crushed,” his mother, Kimberly McBride, said.

Gaudlip, 10, was struck by a red Chevrolet pickup truck while he was riding a scooter on Locust Grove Road and East Chateau Drive in Meridian on Monday evening. The Meridian Police Department responded to the accident at approximately 6:05 p.m. He passed away the following night.

“He was a fun, outgoing boy. Had a heart bigger than any other I’ve met,” McBride said. “His siblings say he always complemented his insecurities, always had a way of making things better. He was the kid who sat with other kids that sat alone.”

Gaudlip’s mother recalls him complimenting his sister and playing basketball with his brother.

“He was very protective of his family,” McBride said. “...hated seeing anyone upset or in pain. His brother was his rock. Any time Drayko was having a hard time, he would go talk to his brother.”

Gaudlip was a student at Chief Joseph School of the Arts in the West Ada School District.

According to a report by the Meridian Police Department, Gaudlip was initially taken to Saint Alphonsus Medical Center and later moved to St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise in critical condition.

Gaudlip died from his injuries on Tuesday at 6:53 p.m., according to the report.

No citations or arrests have been made. The collision is under investigation by the Meridian Police Department.

A GoFundMe has been made for McBride and her family. As of Friday, $12,580 had been raised by 264 donors.