Tributes pour in for young victims of fatal weekend crash

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Tributes are pouring in for the young victims of a fatal crash early Sunday morning on Fredericton’s north side.

A 22-year-old man, 17-year-old boy, and 14-year-old girl died in the crash at 1 a.m. Sunday on Douglas Avenue. Another 15-year-old boy sustained critical injuries and was airlifted to the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, and a 14-year-old girl was treated in local hospital for her injuries.

Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers posted a statement Tuesday on social media expressing condolences on behalf of city council to the victims’ families, friends, and loved ones. She also thanked the first responders who were at the scene of the crash.

“Our city grieves as we endure the aftermath of a devastating motor vehicle collision that occurred this past weekend,” Rogers said in her statement. “As our community mourns the untimely loss of these young people, remember to be kind to one another and take good care.”

Sen. Krista Ross of Fredericton also posted a tribute, saying her “heart is heavy” as she thinks of the families, friends, students, and community members impacted by the crash.

All four teens involved in the crash attended Leo Hayes High School.

Anglophone West superintendent David McTimoney said supports have been made available to students there to help them deal with the tragedy.

“This difficult news has an impact on many students, families, and staff in our school community,” he said in an emailed statement. “We have a crisis events response team in place at Leo Hayes High School that is led by the school principal and her team and supported by district education support services personnel.”

McTimoney said he visited the school Monday morning and found the staff and students were “in good hands and getting the support they needed.” He said resources will be available for as long as they’re needed.

“I am sure the community shares our collective grief following this terrible accident,” he said. “As a school and district, we thank the public for their understanding and support during this challenging period.”

McTimoney said the district’s focus in the coming days will be on supporting students and staff.

Police said Monday offers had actually spotted the vehicle just before the crash happened, as it sped by them in the opposite direction while patrolling the neighbourhood for speeders, a common complaint with residents there.

Fredericton Police Force Chief Martin Gaudet said officers were on nearby Maple Street when they were passed by an oncoming speeding vehicle just before 1 a.m. He said they turned on their emergency lights, but by the time they turned around, the vehicle was out of sight and had no chance to follow it.

Moments later, police got a call about a crash involving that same vehicle, Gaudet said.

The Serious Incident Response Team – the arms-length agency that investigates anytime police are involved in a death, sexual assault, or other serious situation – was notified, but spokesperson Rebecca Butler said as the crash didn’t result from police operations it doesn’t fall under its mandate.

Gaudet said it appears the vehicle hit a curb, became airborne, struck some trees, then hit a parked vehicle, which was occupied by four men who were about to leave a nearby home. He said none of them sustained any serious injuries.

“Speed and reckless driving were proven factors in the driver losing control because of the excess speed,” he said.

Gaudet said police know how fast the vehicle was travelling but did not disclose it, as it’s part of the ongoing investigation. He said police aren’t aware of any other contributing factors to the crash right now.

Gaudet said police still haven’t even determined who was driving, adding it’s been a difficult process.

“This is an extremely tragic event … It’s a parent’s worst nightmare,” he said.

Gaudet said first responders are being provided with critical incident stress management services, and victim services support will be made available to the victims’ families and the community.

While Gaudet said there are speed bumps and other traffic calming measures in place in the neighbourhood where the crash happened to help mitigate speeding, they don’t eliminate the problem or prevent crashes related to speed. Douglas Avenue already has speed bumps near the scene of the crash, and city staff announced plans in April to add extra speed cushions this year between Carrington Lane and Brookside Drive after Douglas was identified as one of the city’s top priorities for traffic calming projects.

“Sometimes it’s the archer, not the arrow,” Gaudet said. “In this case, the driver was clearly going way too fast for the conditions and lost control.

“I’m a firm believer that traffic enforcement makes a difference.”