A 9-year-old Chester boy who spent more than a year recovering after a hit-and-run crash left him paralyzed has died from complications related to his injuries.
Ny’Leek Ellison died Thursday, more than a year after he was struck by a car in February 2025, as he was getting off a SEPTA bus with his brother near 9th Street and Tilghman Street in Chester. He was 8 years old at the time of the crash.
The collision left Ny’Leek paralyzed. In the year that followed, his family and the Chester community rallied around him as he fought to recover.
“My baby… I thought I had it. I thought I had it. I thought I was going to see my baby walk again,” his mother said.
“I’m lucky, I’m lucky to be his father,” his father said. “That was the best nine years of my life.”
After his death, family, friends and community members gathered Saturday at the intersection where the crash happened to honor his life. Loved ones carried Spider-Man balloons during the vigil, and several people described Ny’Leek as a source of hope and inspiration in Chester.
The driver, Caleb Campbell, was arrested weeks after the crash. Court proceedings later resulted in Campbell pleading no contest to aggravated assault by vehicle and accidents involving death or injury while not licensed.
Following Ny’Leek’s death, Chester Police said they are seeking upgraded charges against Campbell. The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office has said the investigation remains ongoing and that it could not comment further while the case is under review.
Local officials have also called for the case to receive another look in light of Ny’Leek’s death.
Ny’Leek is scheduled to be laid to rest April 11 at St. Luke Community Christian Church in Chester. Donations are also being collected to support the family.
His death closed a chapter that had begun with a crash in February 2025 and continued through more than a year of medical complications, community support, and an ongoing push for accountability in the case.
