The small city of Walkerton, southwest of Walkerton, continues to cry the loss of four teenage athletes and its teacher, killed in an accident of several vehicles outside London last week while returning home from a softball tournament.
The deadly collision of Friday has left the wobbly of the Bruce County community and has caused a lot of support for his friends and family.
Hundreds of Walkerton residents met Sunday night for a vigil in the light of candles on the outskirts of the community school of the Walkerton district, the K-12 school where adolescents, aged 16 and 17, studied, and where Matt Eckert, 33, worked as teachers and trainers.
“It is an incredibly deep and deep scar that this has inflicted our community. It will take a long time,” said Chris Peabody, mayor of Brockton, which includes Walkerton.
“We have treated, as a community, treated with the tragedy before, and the residents of the small city of Ontario always rise in front of adversity and union, and I know that will happen here.”
Although the identities of adolescents have not been released by the police, the Tara Twins U18 women’s softball team identified two of the victims online as Rowan McLeod and Kaydance Ford.
“Our whole family of twins is staggering for this loss, and our hearts are with the families, friends and teammates of these beautiful athletes,” says a Facebook publication of the team, whose coach, he points out, is McLeod’s father.
“This tragedy hits stronger for this association knowing that they returned from practicing the sport of softball.”
‘Infectious smile and affectionate heart’
Eckert is being remembered not only as a teacher in Walkerton, but also as a Junior B assistant coach for the Northstars Lacrosse Club in Owen Sound.
“Our organization is disconsolate and crushed to lose an important member of our family. Matt connected to our players at an indescribable level,” says a social media post of the Northstars general manager, Ethan Woods.
“His infectious smile and his affectionate heart are things that will never be forgotten. We love you so much Ecky.”
The flags outside the school and other properties of the city have been lowered at half -mast. On Saturday night, many residents left the lights on the porch and the shoes to show to show support to the families of the victims.
Before the vigil, the members of the community visited the community school of the Walkerton district throughout the day on Sunday to add flowers and other memories to a growing outdoor monument.
Among those who stopped were other students, including Jasmine Huber, 16, who wanted to pay respect.
Huber now attends a different high school, but recalled having had Eckert as a math teacher.
“She was a great teacher,” he said. “As, even if the children were not good, they would put them in trouble, but I would, as, in a fun way.”
Another student, Keegan Padfield, 15, said he left boots outside on Saturday night, like many of his neighbors.
“He was a very nice guy,” he said about Eckert. “He likes to do many jokes, and is always very kind to students.”
Padfield said he knew the five victims largely through school sports, with Eckert as one of his coaches, and described the four girls as kind to everyone.
“When I started in grade 9, they all supported me a lot and helped everyone to improve,” he said.
OPP continues to investigate
The five victims had been returning home of the 27th Annual Slo-Pitch Tournament of Invitational School High School in Dorchester, Ontario, when their SUV collided with a transport truck on Thorndale and Cobble Hills roads on Friday at 4:30 pm.
His SUV was beaten by a second SUV, said the provincial police of Ontario.
The researchers have not published details about what happened at the intersection of the road, which has a bidirectional stop for vehicles that cross Thorndale Road, but say they continue to investigate.
Police said two 17 -year -old girls and a 16 -year -old girl died at the scene, while Eckert and the other 16 -year -old girl were transported to the hospital, but then died of her wounds, police said.
The transport driver and two people in the other SUV suffered minor injuries.
The police had no update to provide in the investigation on Sunday.
Speaking outside the Community School of the Walkerton district on Sunday, Jamie Petit, spokesman for the Bluewater District School Board, described it as a “unimaginable pain time” for school, the Board and the community in general.
“It has certainly left a great vacuum here within the community, and it is something that will remain for a long time, a long time, even beyond the initial grief stage,” Pettit said. The school board covers Bruce and Gray counties.
He added that the tragedy had brought out the best “in pairs and supports, not only within the school community, but also as our community partners and local municipalities, our neighboring school board and associated organizations.”
In a statement, the president of the Board Jane Thomson and the Director of Education Lori Wilder said that the loss was devastating for the entire community, and that mental health support for students and staff were offered.
“We recognize that many people in other communities in Bluewater also have close connections with people lost in this tragedy and their families. It is important to recognize how this tragedy is also affecting them. We are all here to support each other,” reads the statement.
