Neighbors remember boy killed by Irene

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) - The chainsaw and chipper at the Brookridge Apartments, on Fairfax Avenue in Newport News, Monday morning called neighbors to the sidewalk like an alarm.

"Its just one of those experiences in life you just don't understand it just happens, it happens you know." Mark Wood said.

The small crowd came to see workers take down the tree that killed 11-year-old Zahir Robinson in his bed.

Most never met the family, including Charles Kelly who ran to the rescue on Saturday.

"I'll never get her face out of my head, never, " he told us shaking his head.

Every time Kelley closes his eyes, he sees Zahir's mother reaching out her hand, screaming for help.

Kelly added, "when you can't save somebody that's when it hurts the most, you know what I mean?"

Kelley is a security guard. He's lived through tragedy before, but never gone back to a scene.

"I don't know. I really don't know, maybe just to look at it one more time, you know what I mean," continued Kelly.

The woman next door knows. Taijin Curtis sees this as a sign to get her life together, "that's what I told my little sister, you never know when this could happen to us."

Others came to pray and pay it forward.

George Covington owns a bakery and is plaining a fundraiser.

"Set aside a day and let everyting go to the family," said Covington. "This right here this is not about us."

It took crews almost no time to take down the tree, if only it were that easy  take away the pain.

"I wish a lot of things were that easy, but it never works out that way," said Kelly.

WAVY.com will let you know when that fundraiser is scheduled to help with funeral expenses.