Family of teen passenger killed in crash needs help

A 16-year-old boy was killed when the car he was riding in slammed into a tree.

The car was mangled, and the driver, his cousin, was arrested.

Jamal Thompson's family now is looking for help to pay for his funeral.

"He was a very caring, and loving," said Kendrick Woodward, Jamal's grandfather. "He got along with everyone."

Police arrested the driver who the family says was Jamal's cousin and that adds even more pain to an already difficult situation.

"It was not his intentions on doing what happened," Woodward said. "Accidents happen so right now we just have to be strong."

As the family tries to move forward, they say the one thing that will bring them comfort is giving Jamal a proper burial - but they don't have the money to do so.

"If you can just contribute whatever you can reach into your pocket and help us," Woodward said. "We are trying to bury him. He did not have insurance."

The family says they need at least $3,000 and they are asking anyone who can contribute to please send money to the O. H. Pye Funeral Home, 17600 Plymouth Road, Detroit MI 48227 in Detroit.

"It's just so sad that we lost him at such a young age,"  Woodward said. "No doubt he had a promising future."