Family of Griffith University student Kyle Bermudo, killed in Southport, reveal pain of losing youngest son

The night Kyle Bermudo was killed by alleged drag racers was like any other - he finished work, went to the gym, texted his mum ‘I love you ma’ - and never made it home. FULL STORY

A family struck by countless tragedies has revealed the grief and pain of losing their youngest son Kyle to alleged street racers dragging each other on a public road.

On Friday March 22, 2024 Daimler Kyle Hipolito Bermudo, better known as Kyle, was killed – struck by a Hyundai Veloster while crossing a Southport road at the intersection of Smith St and Village Blvd.

He was 21 years young, and had been leaving the gym after his part-time job at Woolworths. He’d texted mum Jasmine, saying he loved her, and he’d be home soon.

Daimler Kyle Hipolito Bermudo. Picture: Glenn Hampson

But Kyle never came home that night, leaving behind her, his dad Raymond, sister Danica, 33, brother Kossel, 29, and three nephews, Elijah, 12, Ezekiel, 10, and Albrie, five.

Mrs Bermudo recalled: “That day he said goodbye, he kissed me and said, ‘I love you mum,’ like he always did, and then he closed the door – but he never usually closed the door. That’s the last time I saw him.

“He messaged me at 9.32pm and he said to me, ‘mum, I’m done here, I’ll go straight to the gym now’.”

His last message to his mum was he would be home soon, signing off with: “I love you ma’.”

As time went by, the family’s calls to him went unanswered.

Soon after, the family found out their beloved son and brother was gone, via a phone call filled with screams.

Mr Bermudo said: “We called him Pingu. When he spoke to me he called me ‘moot moot’. He loved Pingu when he was young.”

Mrs and Mr Bermudo said Kyle and his brother were the best of friends. Mountain biking and tinkering in the garage, they were as close as brothers could be.

Jasmine Bermudo, mother of Daimler Kyle Bermudo hugs his favourite jumper and reveals the pain of losing a child. Picture Glenn Hampson

Just two months before Kyle’s death on January 6, 2024, Kossel was given good news – he was in remission after battling cancer.

While recovering physically, Mr Bermudo said his son Kossel said to Kyle: “Heaven waits for me. Once my physical body regenerates we will be back on those trails with our mountain bikes.”

But it would end up being Kyle who wouldn’t make it.

A selfless boy who devoted countless hours helping those around him is how Mrs and Mr Bermudo describe him.

He never drank, never partied – he studied, worked, loved his family and friends fiercely and was desperate to make a difference in the community.

Months away from graduating in nursing, Kyle turned down a teaching job at Griffith University to pursue a job in nursing in his desire to help those who need it most.

Now they say he’s a star lighting up the night sky.

Jasmine’s co-workers bought her a star, so Kyle will always shine. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“After he died my daughter was looking at her son and she asked why he was staring at the sky,” Mr Bermudo said.

“My grandson, Elijah, he said my son said to him, ‘when it’s my time, when I die, I’m going to go light up the galaxy and I’ll be a star’.

“A few weeks later after Kyle died, Jasmine’s colleagues at the hospital she works at, they were trying to work out what they were going to present her.”

They bought her a star. Naming it Daimler Kyle Bermudo, “forever shining above and guiding us”.

The family have experienced more tragedy than many in a lifetime, losing 10 loved ones since 2020 from Covid and road accidents.

Now 15 months on from his untimely death, Kyle’s room remains untouched. His shoes neatly placed in the wardrobe, candles lit, flowers displayed, his favourite jumper tucked on a pillow giving it life, and the most beautiful pictures of his young smiling face decorating the walls.

Jasmine and Raymond Bermudo. Picture: Glenn Hampson

The sound of sirens still jolt them, flooding both Mrs and Mr Bermudo with anxiety and memories from the night their world changed forever.

“That very night when Kyle was at work, Jasmine heard an ambulance every few seconds,” Mr Bermudo said.

“She asked me to ring Kyle, before I could ring him there goes our phone, it was Kyle’s girlfriend screaming.”

Mrs and Mr Bermudo want to make one thing very clear – the road is not a playground.

“Be responsible,” Mrs Bermudo said.

“I don’t want any other mum suffering. Until I die I will not have rest. I want justice for my son, he was just an innocent.”

Mr Bermudo said preventive measures are needed to avoid more innocent lives lost on our roads. But also justice.

Kyle Bermudo

The site where Kyle was tragically killed. Picture: Ashleigh Jansen

“On the day we got the report from the forensic crash unit, a few minutes after that I went to the garage where Kyle always hung out,” Mr Bermudo said.

“All of a sudden the roller door started opening up by itself. I built that shed, I know how it was built, and how it works. Since I built it in 2022 that has never happened.”

Mr Bermudo said he knew it was a message from Kyle.

“Justice,” he said.

“Justice will always be served in Australia.”

Arundel man David Saji Mathew, 22, is facing a charge of dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death while excessively speeding.

Benowa man Alexander James Vadeikis, 21, was originally facing a charge of dangerous operation of a vehicle without any circumstance of aggravation, but police prosecutor Rodney Keyte told a court police instead intended to charge him as a party to young Kyle’s death.

Originally published as Family of Griffith University student Kyle Bermudo, killed in Southport, reveal pain of losing youngest son