Meri Nalbandyan
- 11 years old
- Female
- Born Aug 30, 1997
- Died Oct 30, 2008
- Glendale, California, United States
She was such a lovely young girl. How sad.
More »
About
Meri Killed at x walk
from the LA times
The woman in the sport utility vehicle looked one way. The child looked another. In an instant, a school crosswalk became a scene of horror.
A day after a Glendale sixth-grader was struck and killed in front of her mother and classmates, school officials, parents and students struggled to make sense of the tragedy Thursday.
"It's every parent's nightmare," said one mother still shaken by the sight of 11-year-old Meri Nalbandyan lying dead on the street outside Eleanor J. Toll Middle School. "What if it were my child? I'd go crazy."
Questions came more easily than answers -- even to the police investigating the driver, a mother who had just dropped off her own child.
"How come the student didn't stop or get out of the way or see the car coming," asked Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz. "As fate would have it, she too was looking in the wrong direction."
Questions came more easily than answers -- even to the police investigating the driver, a mother who had just dropped off her own child.
"How come the student didn't stop or get out of the way or see the car coming," asked Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz. "As fate would have it, she too was looking in the wrong direction."
Through a cousin, Meri's parents said they were devastated.
Her mother, Lilit, dropped Meri off at school moments before the accident. She called her daughter "an angel."
Meri's father, Grigor, has returned repeatedly to the crosswalk where the eldest of the family's two daughters lighted candles and lay flowers.
"When we remember Meri, we envision a bright, luminous smile covering her face. She was the embodiment of innocence and purity for us. Now we drown in tears of sorrow," her family said in a statement.
Inside the foyer of the school, Meri's classmates -- some in tears -- scribbled notes on a large, pink poster.
"Dear Meri, you are and always will be my best friend," one girl wrote. "We ♥ u so much. I hope you are watching us in heaven!"
The first poster was already so full by midmorning that another blank board had to be added.
Principal Paula Nelson said Meri's death was a reminder to parents "to slow down, leave 15 minutes earlier and stop."
She said parents should "be defensive drivers and tell their children to be defensive walkers."
After Meri was hit about 8 a.m. by a sport utility vehicle, she was taken to Glendale Adventist Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
A number of children witnessed the accident, but Nelson said she wasn't sure how many.
She said more than 20 children have met with grief counselors.
All classes spent first period talking about the accident, with students sharing their thoughts. Sixth-graders wrote essays about Meri and drew pictures.
Nelson remembered how excited Meri was to be starting middle school and how enthusiastically she participated in lunchtime activities, such as balloon tosses.
"It was so devastating to me," the principal said. "She was a wonderful bright spot."
Her mother, Lilit, dropped Meri off at school moments before the accident. She called her daughter "an angel."
Meri's father, Grigor, has returned repeatedly to the crosswalk where the eldest of the family's two daughters lighted candles and lay flowers.
"When we remember Meri, we envision a bright, luminous smile covering her face. She was the embodiment of innocence and purity for us. Now we drown in tears of sorrow," her family said in a statement.
Inside the foyer of the school, Meri's classmates -- some in tears -- scribbled notes on a large, pink poster.
"Dear Meri, you are and always will be my best friend," one girl wrote. "We ♥ u so much. I hope you are watching us in heaven!"
The first poster was already so full by midmorning that another blank board had to be added.
Principal Paula Nelson said Meri's death was a reminder to parents "to slow down, leave 15 minutes earlier and stop."
She said parents should "be defensive drivers and tell their children to be defensive walkers."
After Meri was hit about 8 a.m. by a sport utility vehicle, she was taken to Glendale Adventist Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
A number of children witnessed the accident, but Nelson said she wasn't sure how many.
She said more than 20 children have met with grief counselors.
All classes spent first period talking about the accident, with students sharing their thoughts. Sixth-graders wrote essays about Meri and drew pictures.
Nelson remembered how excited Meri was to be starting middle school and how enthusiastically she participated in lunchtime activities, such as balloon tosses.
"It was so devastating to me," the principal said. "She was a wonderful bright spot."
Sponsorship
Keep this Tribute free of advertising and enjoy unlimited uploads & storage
Share this Tribute
Let them know how much you caredOR
Really close cuzin and friend...
Aleen Avedian Jan 20, 2010
dont no wat to do
my heart is still beating, but i dont want it to"
Why is she dead because of someone elses..careless mistake?
Its not fair, she didnt do anythin wrong
She was a child, her life hadnt even begun and that lady took it from her
anywayyy
R.I.P.
we love u and miss u ...
Rest in peace little angel
Mary Jun 18, 2009
A Friend of Meri's Toll Middle School
Alice Sarkisyan May 29, 2009
For the past week, several students have been working exremely hard, and have been making a garden as a tribute to Meri. We miss her so much, and it is hard to cope. The tribute will be Saturday, and everyone is welcome. If you can make it, please to. It is at Toll Middle School, next to her Homeroom teacher's class, 8102.
from the aubry-fuller family...
taza aubry Dec 12, 2008