MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A south metro community is mourning Friday evening.

Dakota Hills Middle School student Patric Vitek was hit and killed by a car while riding his bike to school Friday morning. It was his 13th birthday.

READ MORE: Hundreds In The Eagan Hockey Community Remember Patric Vitek

Just off Diffley Road, students paid their respects to their former classmate.

“I remember talking to him. I don’t really know what we talked about, but you know, I thought he was a cool kid, and he seemed really sweet, too, this is a tragedy that, you know, this happened, and I feel for, like, all of his loved ones and stuff,” said Eagan High School ninth-grader Lee Burdick. “I could never imagine being a parent losing my kid like that.”

Police say officers found Vitek lying on Diffley Road with injuries just after 7:20 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

“He was happy. Like, I just feel bad. It’s really sad,” said Eagan High School ninth grader Max Gonzalez. “He didn’t deserve it. Nobody does.”

The driver hit his rear bicycle wheel, and then stopped at the scene. Students at neighboring Eagan High School found out shortly after it happened.

“It was a horrible thing that happened. Everybody’s going to miss him and it’s just sad,” said Eagan High School student Grace Elzea.

Vitek was close to school when it happened, which makes these students think twice about their safety.

“My sisters are going to go there next year, and, like, it could’ve easily been them,” Elzea said.

As the community mourns Vitek, some people wonder if changes can be made to make the road safer for all students.

“I hope there’s something that can be done putting up more signs so people would actually know, hey, there’s a school, let’s slow down, maybe reducing the speed limit a little bit more,” Grace Elzea said.

The investigation is ongoing. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Vitek family.

Vitek’s funeral will be on Friday, Nov. 8 at the Church of St. Thomas Becket, located at 4455 South Robert Trail in Eagan. The burial will begin at 11 a.m.