'Great little kid' killed in St. Thomas crash would have turned 12 on Monday, grandpa says
The death of Aiden Curtis, 11, has devastated the entire community
The boy killed after a red pickup truck crashed into five pedestrians in downtown St. Thomas, Ont., was days away from celebrating his 12th birthday.
"He was a great little kid. Almost perfect," said Larry Payne, the boy's grandfather.
Aiden Curtis, 11, and a group of friends were on their way back from getting ice cream at McDonald's when a car jumped the curb at the intersection of Talbot and Inkerman streets.
"He was a sweet little guy. Somebody that everybody would want to be around," Payne said.
The crash happened at around 5 p.m. Tuesday. Curtis was killed and a woman critically injured. Three other pedestrians were treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Nicholas Lemke, 19, has been charged with impaired driving causing death and impaired driving causing bodily harm. He made a brief court appearance on Wednesday morning in St. Thomas court and was released from custody.
His next scheduled appearance is Aug. 8.
St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp called the crash a "terrible tragedy" and said he had reached out to offer his condolences to Curtis' family on behalf of the entire community.
"This devastating loss has affected the family, friends and community of 11-year-old Aiden Curtis," Roskamp said. "We are also working with the family of the second victim, who remains in critical condition in hospital."
"There are no excuses for this senseless tragedy. We will continue to arrest, charge and advocate for strong sentences for those that fail to recognize community expectations and the laws surrounding impaired driving.
"Our message is clear when it comes to impaired driving and the significant threat it poses to public safety. You have been warned — don't do it."