The mother of an 8-year-old boy who died after he was struck by a truck last year in Pharr said she lost time with her son before he died.

Sonia Hernandez testified Wednesday on the second day of the wrongful death lawsuit trial in the death of Caleb Hernandez.

The lawsuit was filed in July 2024 after a Hidalgo County grand jury declined to indict the driver of a GMC Sierra that police said struck and killed Caleb.

Sonia said Caleb had gotten perfect scores on two school assignments when he died on April 26, 2024, and that Caleb would be taken to Peter Piper Pizza the following day to celebrate.

Instead, Sonia said, she last saw her son alive on his bike at the 700 block of East Eller Street near their home prior to the crash.

The Pharr Police Department previously said the crash happened at around 7:30 p.m.

When Caleb was taken to the hospital, Sonia said an Pharr police officer  refused to let her ride with him to the hospital, and told her to get her own ride.

Sonia ended up going to a different hospital. She was later able to arrive to the hospital Caleb was at, where he was pronounced dead at 8:01 p.m.

Jury members were visibly emotional during Sonia’s testimony.

The Pharr Police Department, the driver of the truck that police said struck and killed Caleb, and the truck driver’s relatives are named as defendants in the wrongful death lawsuit. Caleb’s family is seeking $1 million in damages.

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Alex Castillo — who was previously identified as the driver of the truck at the time of the crash — testified on Tuesday. Police previously said Castillo did not have a license at the time of the crash.

Pharr police detective Chevy Flores testified Wednesday. He said the final report concluded that Castillo drove down the block after running over Caleb before stopping.

Flores said he reviewed security footage of the crash, and was asked if he saw any indication of Castillo stepping on the brakes of the vehicle.

Flores said no.

Castillo’s mother, Aurea, was also called to the stand.

However, she refused to answer several questions, including whether her son had permission to drive the truck despite not having a license.

Closing arguments and final deliberations are set for Thursday morning.