Family and friends of a 23-year-old man killed by a hit-and-run driver last month on the 6th Street Bridge gathered to remember their beloved grandson, brother and friend as authorities continue to search for the person behind the wheel of a white pickup truck who struck him.
The tragedy occurred on Dec. 30 when the victim, Nathan “Nate” Franklin, took his dirt bike out for a spin on the bridge near Boyle Heights.
It was a Good Samaritan who rushed to the 23-year-old’s aid that witnessed three people in a white Dodge Ram truck speed off after hitting Franklin.
Days passed before his family was even aware of the accident. By the time they found out, Franklin’s cousin, Michael Proctor, said they were faced with an unthinkable decision.
“He was on life support when we got there,” Proctor explained. “He just needed machines to breathe, for brain function. We decided to disconnect the machines because I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want to live in that way.”
Chris Avila, a childhood friend of Franklin, told KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff that the 23-year-old was his closest confidant.
“Me and Nate had very personal discussions that a lot of friends don’t have,” he shared. “I don’t know who I would talk to now, who I want to tell those deep stories to because I know Nathan was the one that I could go and talk to about those things.”
Those close to Franklin are now working to raise money for his funeral and to help support his grandmother, who raised him along with his younger brother and sister. They held a car wash to raise funds and have organized a GoFundMe campaign as well.
Another longtime friend, Jasmine Santana, who recently took a trip to Chicago with Franklin and had also adopted a dog with him, said he always kept a positive mindset and supported her in times of grief.
“I think my constant reminder is that he would always tell me there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “I think that’s what sticks with me.”
While detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department tell the family they are hopeful surveillance cameras on the bridge captured those responsible, his family say they will always remember Franklin as a humble man, a kind listener and a lover of adventure.