Obituaries

Boy Killed by Alleged DUI Driver Was Vail Elementary Student

Seven-year-old Diyarbek Uzakbaev, a second-grader at Vail Elementary, was confirmed in a Temecula Valley Unified School District announcement as the boy who was struck and killed by a car Sunday on Pujol Street in Old Town Temecula.

This article was first published at 12:45 p.m. Sept. 17 and updated at 4:35 p.m. Sept. 17 to include information about a memorial fund established.

Grief counselors were on hand Tuesday at Vail Elementary in Temecula to speak with students and staff about the death of one of their own.

Seven-year-old Diyarbek Uzakbaev, a second-grader at Vail, was confirmed in a Temecula Valley Unified School District announcement as the boy who was struck and killed by a car Sunday on Pujol Street in Old Town Temecula.

Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We are sad to report the loss of a TVUSD student over the weekend,” TVUSD stated in a Facebook post. “On Sunday at 5 p.m…Diyarbek was entering the street to meet the ice cream truck and stepped out from behind a parked car.”

The driver of the vehicle, Bradley Megginson Jr., 25, of Temecula, was not injured and remained at the scene. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol.

Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Just before 1 p.m. Tuesday, the coroner's office confirmed Diyarbek's identity, stating he was struck at 5:02 p.m. Sunday in the 29000 block of Pujol Street. 

Diyarbek was transported to Rancho Springs Medical Center in Murrieta, where he was pronounced deceased at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the coroner's office.

The vehicle driven during the collision was described in the coroner's release as a pick-up truck.

A Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s official told Patch the department had been waiting to publicly identify the boy until the district was able to notify students.

Diyarbek's brother is a first-grader at Vail, according to the district.

In addition to his brother, he is survived by his parents, Nuratdin and Lola Amankulor.

The district worked with the Diyarbek's family and Wells Fargo Bank in Temecula in an effort to set up a donation account to assist with burial costs. 

"Diyarbek’s family is in need of financial assistance to provide a proper burial for their son," stated Melanie Norton, district spokeswoman.

Donations can be made to the Diyarbek Uzakbaev Memorial Fund at any Wells Fargo Bank branch; donors should reference account number 3451570190.

“Please keep the Uzakbaev family in your thoughts and prayers,” TVUSD stated.


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