Even though the life of their 6-year-old son, Amar Diarrassouba, was cut short on Feb. 28, parents Mehichata and Sidiki Diarrassouba are being strong and are still not blaming crossing guard Flavia Roman for his death.
Imam Konate, Amar’s cousin and the family’s spokesperson from the Masjid Aqsa Mosque (Frederick Douglass Boulevard and 116th Street), told the AmNews that the family’s faith is strong. “They do not blame anyone for their son’s death. It was just his time to go.”
Diarrassouba was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on Feb. 28 at 7:54 a.m. on First Avenue and East 117th Street while he was heading to school with his older brother.
“I remember when I got the call about Amar’s death. I went down to Harlem Hospital where they had taken him because I was interested in seeing the process of how they handled the body,” Konate said.
“When I got to the room where he was, I saw his mother cradling him in her arms as if breastfeeding him. She was wiping the blood from his ears and his nose, and at that time, I could not hold myself back from crying.”
Diarrassouba was laid to rest on Sunday in a service held at the Masjid Aqsa Mosque, where over 50 people went to pay their last respects to Diarrassouba and his family.
“All of Amar’s siblings were crying. But his mother never shed a tear. She knew she had to be strong for her family,” said Konate. The family even invited Roman to the ceremony, but she did not show up. They still do not blame her or anyone else for his death.
“We [the family] recently found out from Ray Kelly in a report that the crossing guard did not even report to work that day. She called her supervisor and said she was there but never showed up. She was probably at home sleeping or something,” said Kouyate.
Roman, who has worked at that intersection since 2003, was suspended for 30 days without pay for being AWOL (absent without official leave) and for lying. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly reported that Roman “called in to the youth office at the precinct and said she was on post” at 7:30 a.m. when she was not. Roman reportedly did not reach her post until minutes to 8 a.m., after Amar was struck and killed.
According to Konate, charges against Roman are still pending, but the NYPD and city officials are considering criminal charges. There are also still no charges against truck driver Robert Carroll Jr., but he was issued two traffic violation summons for failing to use due care and failure to yield.
“All we can do for the family now is pray,” Konate said.
