‘Miss him every day’: Boise teen’s death has lasting impact. Truck driver faces charges

Jadin Zurawski left behind a legacy — he was “effortlessly cool, genuine and kind,” a “thinker, artist, friend,” and “an old soul,” according to quotes from family friends shared with the Idaho Statesman by his stepmother, Amaia Biain.

It’s been a little over a year since the 16-year-old Zurawski was hit by a dump truck and killed while skateboarding at the intersection of 16th and Washington streets in Boise.

“I miss every day, the way he made me feel,” Biain wrote to the Statesman. “He was an exceptional child from the day I met him (when he was 4 years old) and he still makes me proud every day.”

Zurawski’s story has impacted many, and the man who was driving the truck that took his life is preparing to go to court on a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge.

Among the people touched by Zurawski’s shortened life was Hawk Sahlein, a founder of the artists collective called Sector Seventeen. Sahlein was part of the team that painted a striking mural near the intersection where Zurawski died. Sahlein, like Zurawski, went to Boise High, loved hip-hop music and was into skateboarding.

“I didn’t know him when he was alive, but it felt like I knew him a little bit through just having those connections,” Sahlein told the Statesman. “We worked with his family and they were able to tell us through conversations what kind of things he was into.”

Sahlein said he found out about the idea of doing a tribute wall through Facebook and was put in touch with the Zurawski family. The painting process for the mural took two to three days.

“(The mural’s) not going to take away from the loss, but it’s one way to spark some light into it,” Sahlein said.

In the meantime, the case against the truck driver has been working its way through the criminal justice system.

Prosecutors charged Horseshoe Band resident David Brown, a man in his 70s, with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter last November. He’s accused of running a red light, according to court documents, before hitting Zurawski.

A trial date has not been set; there was a pretrial conference scheduled for Friday, Aug. 16.

The Boise Police Department denied a records request for documents related to Zurawski’s death, citing the ongoing court case.

While they await the outcome of the case, Zurawski’s friends and family keep reflecting on how special he was to them. People were drawn to him, according to one friend, who said they’d never known an energy like Jadin’s.

“He charmed all who knew him with his radiant smile and even brighter inner light,” another family friend said, in a quote shared by his stepmom. “We miss him every day but feel him in each bird call, moon rise and pleasant breeze.”

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