James Dylan Burkett Jr.Credit : GoFundMe

NEED TO KNOW

James Dylan Burkett Jr., 15, died in an ATV crash in Redford Township, Mich., on Sunday, March 8
His father has since revealed that minutes before the crash, he and the teen had argued about wearing a helmet while operating the ATV
“I love him, man. I’ll always love him,” the grieving father said

James Dylan Burkett Jr., who went by Dylan, died after his vehicle was rear-ended on 6 Mile in Redford Township, Mich., around 8 p.m. local time, on Sunday, March 8, WXYZ reported.

Witness Victor Burch told Fox 2 that he heard the crash, describing it as a “thud.” It “sounded like somebody hit my car or something,” he added.

Dylan was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, police said. His father, James, told the outlet that just before his son’s death, the pair had argued about Dylan wearing his helmet during the ride.

“I got on him real big and bad cause I make him wear his helmet and he doesn’t like to wear his helmet because he always has his headphones on and he can’t wear his headphones with his helmet,” Burkett told WXYZ.

“He got mad at me, got into an argument. A few minutes later, I went in there and told him ‘Son, the only reason I tell you this is because I love you and I don’t want you to get hurt.’ “

Burkett recalled telling his son in their final conversation, “‘Son, I’m not mad at you. I love you. It’s not you I don’t trust, it’s these other people.’ “

James Dylan Burkett Jr.GoFundMe

James then fell asleep, and Dylan left for the ride. He was killed 30 minutes later.

James ran to the scene, believing that Dylan was injured. He then says that he caught sight of his son, just as someone asked him if he was the boy’s father.

Now, James is living any parent’s “worst” nightmare. “I love him, man. I’ll always love him. And this ain’t real. I mean, I feel like I’m gonna wake up in that chair any minute, you know, and he’s gonna be right there and everybody is going to want to go ride,” the grieving father said.

“I know life can be cruel, man, and I know the Bible says that God won’t put on you more than you can bear. I’m putting that to the test.”

Classmates and community members remembered Dylan’s legacy. The mother of one Dylan’s friends, Angela Rodgers, said, “He’s a human being, and his whole entire family, his friends, so many people are suffering over this.”

A classmate, Jason Walters, referred to Dylan as “one of the nicest people to me in the entire school.”

James Dylan Burkett Jr.GoFundMe

Dylan’s aunt Janet Moore created a GoFundMe page to help the Burkett family with the expenses.

“Dylan was a bright light in our lives, and his sudden passing has left us facing unimaginable grief,” Moore wrote in memory of the teen.

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It is illegal for ATV drivers to be under the age of 16 years old without “the direct visual supervision of an adult” in Michigan. Authorities are investigating the crash. Neither speed nor alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash.

PEOPLE reached out to the Redford Township Police Department for comment.