A 21-year-old motorcyclist tragically lost his life early Sunday after he was hit by a driver who should not have been behind the wheel in the first place.
At Mario The Baker pizzeria in Royal Palm Beach, it may have seemed like just another busy Sunday night. But for every employee, their minds were elsewhere as they thought of their co-worker and friend Brandon Wesson.
"It still hasn't sunk in for me. Anyone I don't think," says Wesson's best friend Joey Ippolito.
Ippolito wants the world to know how great Wesson was before he suddenly lost his life early Sunday morning.
"He saw me and my other friends as brothers, always making sure we are OK. (He) always took care of us," said Ippolito.
Early Sunday morning, police said Wesson was on his motorcycle heading west on Hypoluxo Road in Boynton Beach when he was hit by a pickup at Lawrence Road.
Wesson was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers said the driver of the pickup, Victor Villanueva Rivera, 48, fled the scene, but left a trail of fluid for police to follow.
Victor Villanueva Rivera
An arrest report shows he told police he was aware of the crash. He admitted he did not have a driver's license or documentation to be in the United States legally.
During a Monday morning court hearing, Villanueva's bond was set at $35,000, and he was placed on house arrest.
"So sad, a kid way too young," said Wesson's boss Kevin Puebla.
He said Wesson was one of the hardest workers he ever knew. He worked two jobs and was always there for his family.
"He's the kind of kid I'd leave a bag of money on the counter right in front of him, never worry about it. He wasn't that kind. He was awesome," says Puebla.
For Ippolito, it's hard to imagine his friend is now gone.
"I don't want to believe it. I don't know how to go forward honestly. I'll just have to take a day at a time," said Ippolito.
