Dr. Jovan Rembert, founder and principal of West Park Preparatory School in West Park, died on Thursday, March 5, after being struck by a car following a bus crash.
Authorities say the accident happened around 2:30 PM along West Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Southwest 40th Avenue. When Rembert heard one of his school buses had been involved in a fender-bender, he rushed to the scene to make sure his students were okay. While crossing a street, he was struck by a Dodge Charger which kept going around the block, before circling back. At that point, the driver remained on the scene.
Rembert founded the West Park Preparatory School, and was remembered by students and community members as a caring person who would give the shirt off his back to someone in need.
“This is a tremendous loss for West Park Preparatory School and our community,” West Park Preparatory School staff members said in a statement. “Dr. Rembert was an amazing family man, father, minister, principal, and friend. He treated all those who he met with compassion and love. As our hearts grieve his loss, we will pull together in prayer while comforting and supporting one another. We are sure his legacy of being a servant leader will live on in the lives of those he touched. #EMBRACEEQUIPEMPOWER.”
By Friday morning, a memorial had appeared outside the school.
Sadly, Florida leads the nation in pedestrian deaths. Two separate safety studies have found that nine of the top twenty unsafe areas for pedestrians are in the Sunshine State. Distracted drivers are a major cause of pedestrian-involved accidents. Drivers are encouraged to keep their eyes on the road and slow down when they see pedestrians.