Roanoke Rapids police Chief Lawrence Wiggins said in a statement released Tuesday evening that officers continue to investigate a collision that claimed the life of a teenager last week.

While the police department has not released the name of the victim, the obituary posting on Tuesday identifies him as 16-year-old Dustin Maurice. The Roanoke Rapids Graded School District last week confirmed he was a former student. Several fundraising efforts in the community have also identified him.

In the statement, Wiggins said, "Currently, investigative steps are being completed to ensure our officers have all the available evidence to review this incident. Unfortunately, at this time, all the data is not available, and to ensure the most accurate and objective investigation, we must pursue every parcel of information; this can be time-consuming.”

He said, “As soon as we have completed our investigation, the parties involved will be apprised of our findings and any additional actions, if necessary, prior to any additional public statements.”

He concluded the statement by saying, “As a parent my heart goes out to the family of the young man who passed away. I cannot fathom the sense of loss they are enduring. We will continue to work until the investigation is complete and ensure that fairness and accuracy are our highest priority in reviewing this matter.”

Funeral services for Maurice were planned for today and a visitation was held Tuesday evening.

The obituary describes him as a teen who was very creative. “Dustin was passionate about art and drawing, and was good with his hands. In addition to his artwork, he was also mechanically-inclined and loved to tinker on motors putting them back together again.”

A GoFundMe page seeking donations to defray funeral expenses that was started by his uncle said Maurice had been living with his grandmother for the past two years. “… She was always his safe harbor. He was her light in the darkness after her daughter passed away.”

The crash occurred shortly after 3:45 p.m. near the intersection of Roanoke Avenue and East Fifth Street last Thursday.