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Man on trek to honor gay son’s memory killed by truck
A man on a cross-country trek to honor his gay son who committed suicide was struck and killed by a truck in Colorado on Oct. 9.
A Facebook page set up by Joe Bell to chronicle his journey, which he dubbed “Joe’s Walk for Change,” announced his death this morning, according to the Baker City Herald.
“He will continue his journey now with Jadin (Bell, his son). Please keep his family in your prayers and thoughts,” the Facebook post said.
Bell undertook the journey as a way of handling his grief over losing of his son, who was bullied at school over his sexual orientation. Bell planned to walk across the nation and tell his son’s story to as many people as possible.
Bell was struck by a tractor-trailer on about 20 miles northwest of Kit Carson, Colo. A driver for a Texas trucking company was cited over the incident for careless driving resulting in death.
Colorado state troopers said Raven might have fallen asleep at the wheel.
Jadin Bell, 15, hung himself from school playground equipment in February after enduring what his friends described as relentless in-person and online bullying. He had complained about the bullying to a school counselor at La Grande High School, where he was a sophomore.
