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WALKERTON – Proof of the sorrow and anguish being felt within the city of Walkerton could possibly be seen on virtually each road on Sunday.
It was Friday evening when a collision close to London killed 4 teenage student-athletes and their instructor/coach from Walkerton District Group Faculty, which homes college students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 on this Bruce County group of about 5,000.
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Some 48 hours later, with a group vigil deliberate Sunday evening, residents had been mourning and paying tribute.
Throughout the area, they had been leaving lights on and inserting trainers on their entrance steps in addition to candles, flowers and different gadgets.
Municipal flags had been at half-mast within the city and a memorial of flowers was rising outdoors the college, its flags additionally flapping at half-mast within the mild breeze. A banner with the college’s Riverhawks emblem and the road Riverhawks Robust hung above the rising memorial.
Employees had been making their means into the college, some pausing on the memorial, many with tears of their eyes.
Rebecca Reed of close by Cargill got here by the college simply after midday to put a bouquet of flowers. She mentioned she was feeling helpless and wished to do one thing.
“It’s simply devastating and terrible. I don’t even know them and I really feel like I may cry,” mentioned Reed, a mom of two whose son’s senior Kindergarten class on the faculty was helped by one of many teenagers who died.
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“I feel the little guys would possibly discover it actually onerous to know,” Reed mentioned. “It’s onerous since you need to do one thing, however what are you able to do?”
It was at about 4:30 p.m. Friday when police say the collision occurred on the rural intersection of Thorndale Street and Cobble Hills Street, which is about quarter-hour northeast London.
Middlesex OPP mentioned two 17-year-old women and a 16-year-old lady had been pronounced lifeless on the scene. A 33-year-old man was taken to hospital and later died, whereas a 16-year-old lady flown to hospital by helicopter additionally died.
All the deceased had been occupants of the identical SUV that first collided with a transport truck, inflicting it to crash right into a second SUV. The driving force and passenger within the different SUV and the motive force of the transport truck all suffered minor accidents.
Police haven’t recognized those that died. Makes an attempt to verify the names of the teenage victims had been unsuccessful Sunday. The Owen Sound North Stars Jr. B lacrosse group posted a press release to social media figuring out the person killed as Matt Eckert, who was a coach and a instructor on the faculty.
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Ken Brick, having simply completed breakfast at Mel’s 4 & 9 Diner inside a stone’s throw of the college, mentioned he was unhappy when he realized of the tragedy.
“It makes you recognize your family members that rather more,” mentioned Brick, who’s initially from the realm, however moved again about 20 years in the past after near a decade in northern Ontario. “Maintain them shut since you don’t understand how lengthy you’re going to be right here. None of us are actually right here that lengthy.”
Brick, who has six grandchildren, mentioned he positively considered them right now. “All people is feeling this. It’s saddening. I’m pondering of everybody.”
There have been numerous posts to social media expressing grief and disbelief, many together with the hashtag #WalktertonStrong. Bluewater District faculty board officers known as the crash devastating.
Walkerton is a few two-hour drive north of London. The precise circumstances that had the coach and the student-athletes within the space on Friday weren’t but clear, although one native youth sports activities group indicated it was associated to a softball sport close to Dorchester.
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Municipality of Brockton Mayor Chris Peabody and its prime supervisor, Sonya Watson, issued a press release providing their deepest condolences and unwavering assist. “On this time of sorrow, we stand united with all these affected in the neighborhood and all through all our native colleges.”
The municipality has mentioned its flags will stay at half-mast till they’re raised following the providers for the victims.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford wrote on social media: “My ideas are with the households and family members grieving this horrible loss.”
An enormous variety of Walkerton residents and a whole lot extra from neighbouring communities attended a Sunday evening vigil on the college grounds. Parking areas had been crammed for blocks in all instructions.
Saugeen First Nation Elder Shirley John led a ceremony on the vigil and requested these in attendance to recollect the great instances and share the tales of their family members.
-With information from Jonathan Juha, The London Free Press; and Derek Lester, Hanover Submit
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