OMG...do we know who the little boy was...I wonder if I need to console a friend. My heart goes out to him and his family...

I was there when thi lady started talking pictures. I think it may have been a friend and im very worried j dickens can you send me a message saying who ?

Hey Zach...how are you baby (I am Marcus' mom)? I don't know who it is, and I too am VERY worried!

Very sad.

Every parent's nightmare. I truly am sorry for who ever has to deal with such a tragic loss.

i knew him. i just talked to him today..... i can't believe it.

so terrible what happened. RIP Brandon you will be missed <3

Brandon Sorensen, 7Th grader in Lincoln Middle school. A friend of mine. R.I.P.

For the sake of the grieving family and all of us who knew and loved this young man, I would ask that the Patch take down these photos. They serve no purpose. Posting the images of this sweet child's mangled bicycle and shoe is just too much.

Thank you Sharmaine.
Thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, teachers and community as we all grieve this loss.

So sad, my prayers to the family, friends and to the community for both of these people....many lives will change, many lives will be affected......God Bless you all.

I suspect most everyone knows - Facebook, email, text, phone -- but the coroner has released Brandon Sorensen's name. He was 13 and a student at Lincoln Middle School.

Brandon Sorensen. A friend of mine. He didn't have to die. We will all miss him at Lincoln Middle School, and we will do something to make sure he will be remembered!

I'll miss you teasing me, i'll miss him saying i'm cool. Even if we didn't talk that much...

My heart aches for all involved.

We all miss you. and we all wish that nothing happened and that you'd be right at school like nothing happened.

My heart sinks in just knowing tht he didn't survive. We will all miss him nd he will be remembered. BUt He Is In A Better Place HEAVEN <3

Truly devastating. My children knew this boy and we are just in shock. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family....

My heart aches to hear this. I didn't know Brandon or his family, but my prayers go out to all of you affected by this tragic loss.

This is very sad. My prayers go out to all of you who knew and loved Brandon.

I will be going around the school, having people sign a paper and write a short message to him. I will try to find as many people as possible. Please sign. If you see me at lunch or are in any of my classes, please ask to sign the paper. It will be our will to him, since he never got a chance to write one. Please help me do this. Just come up to me and ask. I am sure that he will be happy to know how many people care. Thank you.

Rest In Peace, Brandon Sorensen. Good bye.

Sunday morning at 5 AM I saw an over turned car on Island Drive (Bay Farm), now this. The thing they both have in common is Wet Roads. Can we all just slow down? Especially when it's wet.

Sharmaine, I agree, nothing can be gained by the photo.

My Pray go out to Brandon s family R.I.P Bro

im missing him everyday... that was like my best friend right there... its a shame.. He didnt deserve to die like this and not at this age... R.I.P Brandon Babe, you will be missed <3 sucks we aint gona be able to do the stuff we planned, but I will always love u till the day I die. And I'll never let go <3

Tammy, my heart bleeds for you and your family. A group of our Encinal '84 alums send you condolences. May Brandon's light shine on you and your family forever.

I think the photo says something important: looks like the bike was in the crosswalk.

We are terribly sorry. This made my heart sink. If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know. www.bicycledefender.com

So terribly sad, both for Brandon's family and the SUV driver.
I have no knowledge of the circumstances, but it's possible his bike was not in the crosswalk but rather skidded there when he was hit. That's for the forensics folks to determine.

I also don't know whether Brandon was wearing his helmet properly, but that's not really the point in terms of using this sad loss as a bike safety teaching moment.

My hearts aches for Brandon's family. I would really like to do something in Brandons honor. Could anyone please post if they are aware of a memorial fund for his family or anything.

I am so shaken by this tragic death and my heart goes out to Brandon's family. I lost my daughter 2 years ago, she was also 13 years old. It is not fair that a child so young, full of promises can be taken away in an instant. I know that this tragedy will change the lives of those that knew this precious child. I am praying for you and your family. RIP Brandon!

Brandon You Will Always Be In Our Hearts<3 Never Forgotten Or Let Go Of.. This Is A Very Sad Tragedy That Has Left Me In Tears:( I Have Fought For My Life Once,, But I Could Never Imagine It Being Tooken From Me In A Matter Of Seconds:(. Thoughts And Prayers Go Out To The Sorenson Family. R.I.P Brandon, U Are In A Better Place Now:) Love, Madison Badger

we all miss you brody! we love you and your earring.
you always had a smile on your face.
you will be missed. <3

Just a reminder: Not all accidents are avoidable. All the Education in the World will not prevent certain accidents from happening; and one of those may be fatal. To blame Brandon because "he lacked bicycle skills education" is at best unfounded, and at worst horribly mean-spirited, both to Brandon himself and to other kids who might find themselves in the same situation some day. Not every misfortune is of our own making! Sometimes it's just Random Chance.

I can't believe this tragic accident happened. Brandon will be missed. I didn't go to school today because I wasn't feeling well. My Mom just told me about this and she prayed with me. We prayed for you Brandon and for your family. You will stay in my heart forever.

Isaiah Zulu

My regards to the family. May Brandon's light shine on. This is one of the worst crosswalks. I am constantly seeing cars speeding through here with no regards to the pedestrians crossing the street. I hope that Alameda PD will put a few Officers there to monitor this situation & perhaps they should think about a four way stop sign. It would be a great way to honor a life lost to soon.soon.

This really upsetting to a lot of people. My daughter was good friends with Brandon. I know from reading all of the comments from his friends that he will be deeply missed. RIP Brandon <3

My families thoughts and prayers go out to Brandon's family, friends and classmates. I remember Brandon always smiling, he always made a point to say "Hi!" Just a beautiful light. My heart is breaking for everyone who knew him. He will be missed.

If the grim photo makes just one driver slow down or one cyclist a little more cautious then i say it is a good thing. I really don't think Brandon's family are reading Patch at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

I think it is important to show the pictures. This is what really happened to this young man. I don't know what happened with that incident yesterday but I can say it makes me reflective on my own driving practices. I have talked on my cell phone and at times I have been distracted. This is a reminder to me that I need to slow down.

This is very sad. R.I.P Brandon We will never forget you

Thoughts and prayers to the families for their loss from Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Tita & John Mahoney, Alameda, California

This is a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to his family and friends. But I have to disagree that the photos of the scene were a "slap in the face" - hard to look at, certainly, but not a personal assault. Photos describe and convey information. Every viewer has the choice to look at them or not.

I say this only because it seems like we slip further into a culture of avoiding the difficult - we're never shown photographs of caskets coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan - we become numb to the senseless loss because we never see its true toll on our families.

Again, a terrible tragedy but censoring photos of the scene doesn't make it any less difficult to comprehend. Just my .02c.

Everybody at Lincoln is so depressed. I went to counseling 2 times today about what happened. I pray for Brandon's parents and older brother. Knowing that Brandon didn't even finish 7th grade breaks my heart. I won't be able to see his big smile or his pierced ears and his laugh. I miss him a ton not just me but other people to. I love you Brandon. R.I.P Brandon Sorensen 5.16.11 <3

I remember the first time we met was while riding bikes I had fun my prayers go to his family and loved ones R.I.P. Brandon

My friends and I got 2 dozen flowers and tied it to the tree near where his bike once laid. I hope to see many people on Friday afterschool around 3:30. LMS students will sing and lay flowers down for Brandon Sorensen, I'm asking that more people attend and bring flowers and support this.
Rest in Piece friend.

I'll really miss Brandon . He was really nice, and always teased me, but you could tell he was joking, because he'd have that big smile on his face that makes you forgive him instantly . You died at such a young age, and this wasn't fair . to you , your family, or any of us . I miss you , Brandon . I love you -Allison Be

Rest in Peace Brandon, you will be dearly missed. You were a great person and i know that you are in a better place now. Thoughts and prayers to the family, I am so sorry for your loss.

Brandon...i'll miss those silly little teases. I'll miss his big sparkly earring and his big funny smile. I'll never forget his last words to me. "You know i'm joking, we're cool" I'll never forget those words.

Brandon was a great guy and everyone at school today were sad and shocked. The trash cans were filled with tissues, and peoples faces were filled with tears, including mine. I cant image how the familys feels and Brandon is never frowning, i dont think i have ever seen him without a smile on his face.

i miss Brandon so much and i am so sorry for his family's loss R.I.P Brandon we miss you <3

My heart hurts so bad for Tammy who I have known since she was a little girl. My heart hurts for the entire family. I am just so sorry for what happened and that you lost your youngest baby. Know that you have an entire force surrounding you out here. If there is anything any of us could do to help you, I am sure we all agree we would. My prayers and love go out to all of you. Bless you Brandon, you are now in heaven, much love forever, Buzzy

Such an awful, tragic loss for all involved. I have a child at Lincoln, who did not know Brandon. My children are both bike commuters and we have LOTS of safety discussions. I saw this article while the photo was still up- and I will just say that it helped me have a very somber, meaningful discussion with my own kids about bike safety- seeing a photo of the intersection alone made this resonate more with them- they recognized it- they've been there- this could have been them. I did not think the photo was distasteful, though if we knew Brandon or his family I'm sure it would have been painful- but just breathing is probably painful during this time of unimaginable grief. Anyway, I just wanted to mention that at a minimum, we can all honor Brandon's memory by having additional bike safety discussions and by each one of us being more alert drivers. All it takes is a split second for a tragedy to occur.

I didn't know this young man, but I am devastated for all parties involved. I walk by that corner everyday to go to work. My thoughts and prayers go out this young boy's family and friends. There are balloons and notes near a tree where the accident occurred. It is heart breaking. I keep wondering if the parents are customers of mine. * sigh*

I was so shaken when I saw those photos, not because they were too personal or gruesome, but because this intersection has been a dangerous one for so many years. To actually know the boy who died put a big stamp of seriousness in my safety discussions with my son.

My heart aches for Brandon's family, I can't imagine how devastated they are and will be for a long time to come. He was a wonderfully happy boy and will be missed by all of us.

Regarding the cause, regardless of the reason, we must remind ourselves and our kids to drive and bike defensively, over and over again. It is too easy to forget these lessons. Accidents happen but being careful is the responsibility of everyone. I worry about the distracted driver, and distracted cyclists. Please be aware of your surroundings.

Michelle and Danny

My sympathy to the family for this tragic loss. We saw him grow up in the neighborhood. He was a good kid.

so sorry for the loss of a young child. I can't stop thinking about this terrible tragedy. Prayers to the family.

He's chillin' with Jezus now.

Not only was that photo inappropriate on this website but also insensitive to what this whole community is going through after a tragic loss. As I came home from work yesterday I picked up my Alameda Sun newspaper only to see that very same picture plastered on the front page. I cannot believe that the editor allowed such a thing to happen. I was horrified knowing that this paper is sitting on the Sorenson’s front porch just waiting to be opened. I did not know Brandon personally but I do know the family. A picture of him in that newspaper would have made such a difference. People could see how great of a young man he is and understand what we as a community lost that Monday. It could have been turned into a tribute to Brandon instead of showing the scene of his accident with his shoes and mangled bicycle lying in the road. Alameda lost a young boy that day and his death affected us all. RIP Brandon Sorenson.

We offered a prayer for Brandon, his family, his classmates, and his friends this morning at our San Francisco church, which has many cyclists among its membership. May he rest in peace and may those who mourn his death find comfort....

As good as we think we are, we can all be better drivers. We can be more attentive, less distracted, more cautious. We in cars/vans/trucks/SUVs are the ones driving 2+ tons of metal and the biggest responsibility lies with us as drivers to be as safe as we can. As a bike rider, pedestrian, and stroller-pusher, I am careful to watch every car and to make sure they see me and proceed only when I feel it is safe because I know that no driver is perfect - not even the ones who try to be. It only takes a split second of inattention or a bad assumption/decision and tragedies like this happen. I feel a deep sadness for the Sorenson family and their immeasurable loss. Please, please, let's all try and be a little safer.

Serge,

Your comments apply equally well to all road users: walkers, cyclists, and drivers. We all need to take a bit more time and walk, drive, and pedal with more deliberation, more mindfulness, and with the best skills and training we can find. In a world that seems to be constantly speeding up perhaps it is time to slow everything down and say no to the constant messages to "hurry up."