Zeke was hit by the driver of an Infiniti SUV shortly before 6:15 p.m. as he tried to cross Thompson Road near the park entrance. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with police, who have not said whether speed, distraction or substance use contributed to the crash.

At the park on Saturday, stuffed animals, flowers and balloons marked the spot where Zeke died. A small blue cross and white letters spelling "Zeke" stood in front of the entrance, while cars rushed past on a road with no sidewalk, crosswalk or shoulders. A banner reading "Forever in Our Hearts" hung near a tented memorial filled with photos of Zeke fishing and showing off his catch — a favorite pastime, according to his father.

"His last day was like every other day," said Harry Crittenden, Zeke's father. "He loved school, coming home and heading over to the park to be with all his friends."

Harry described his son as an "outside kid" — fearless, thrill-seeking and a loving little brother. Zeke was nicknamed "Wildcard" and called "Big Dawg" by family. Friends and relatives signed small wooden ornaments shaped like fish, and children strapped photos of Zeke to their dirt bikes or rode around the park in white memorial T-shirts.

"Ezekiel was a people person," Harry said. "It just warms my heart to see the way the community's come out."

Pastor Robert James of Irvington Bible Baptist Church prayed for comfort for the family, while Pastor Tony Oliver of Westside Apostolic Pentecostal Church offered words of hope. "We don't believe death is final," Oliver said. "It's just a temporary place. Then one day, we are all going to be reunited together."

James also asked the crowd to pray for the driver. "Someone struck an innocent boy. They have to live with that," he said. "We need to pray for them as well." The crowd responded, "Amen."

As the memorial unfolded, grief turned to action. Judy Piper, whose great-grandchildren played with Zeke, collected hundreds of signatures for a petition calling on the city to install a crosswalk at Thompson Park. She asked memorial guests to sign on Saturday, and an online petition started by her granddaughter had more than 450 signatures as of the event. The petition asks the City of Indianapolis, the Department of Public Works and City-County Council members to step in.

Piper said she wants a crosswalk with flashing lights to protect children who cross the busy road daily. "The kids in the neighborhood cross this street all the time, and their friends live across the street," she said. "So, they're coming back and forth all the time."

The newly renovated park has no crosswalk, and Thompson Road — which has a 40 mph speed limit — lacks sidewalks for pedestrians along that stretch. According to a crash map maintained by Indy Vision Zero, there have been at least nine crashes this year on the 1.8-mile segment of Thompson Road between Arlington Avenue and Thompson Crossing Elementary School.

Taylor Firestine, director of healthy communities at Health by Design and a member of the Vision Zero Task Force, said Zeke's death exposes gaps in the city's safety plans.

Zeke's family supports the petition and wants to prevent other tragedies. Harry said Zeke's brother, about a year older, has been focused on making the area safer for neighborhood children. "They were really close, and that's all he kept saying, is that he wants to change something and make it safer for all the kids in the neighborhood," Harry said.

Friends also planned a memorial bike ride in Zeke's honor, a fitting tribute for a boy who loved to ride.