Community visits memorial for 12-year old killed in crash

Reporter: Haley Zarcone Writer: Tim Belizaire
Published: Updated:

Wednesday marks six months since Andrew Sullivan’s passing after a crash while riding his scooter in the Villas. Members of the community continue to visit his memorial.

Brian Sullivan is Andrew Sullivan’s dad. He said that the pain still feels new.

“It still feels like it was yesterday,” said Brian Sullivan.

Katie Church is a friend of the Sullivans, and she said that the holidays are making the loss worse.

“It being right at the holidays is just like double pain,” said Chruch.

A bear was one of the first items to start the memorial, which is tied to a crosswalk on Crystal Drive. It stayed there from the day of the crash.

Brian Sullivan said that the memorial is something that is visited every day.

“The tree, the colors, his memorial, Andrew’s crossing,” said Brian Sullivan. “It’s something that brings joy to everybody because this is not just a six-month celebration for Andrew’s passing, but this is a daily celebration area for us and for the community and for others that have been affected.”

Brian Sullivan said that the memorial makes people happy, but his family is still trying to get used to his loss.

“It doesn’t get any easier,” said Brian Sullivan. “He’s here. It’s going to be the hardest Christmas. It’s just something we have to try to get used to.”

Life without Andrew Sullivan has been the hardest change imaginable.

Church said the grieving process has been difficult for her son.

“My son has still not fully grasped it,” said Church. “As young as he is, he does not grasp the whole concept of his friend never coming back.”

But with every twinkling light on this fence line or ornament placed on a tree, Andrew Sullivan’s spirit lives on.

Brian Sullivan said that he wants to raise awareness about traffic in the area.

“Andrew’s favorite holiday was Christmas, and when you reached out this morning, as you said, it was an easy opportunity to say no, and I thought about it, I honestly did,” said Brian Sullivan. “But this is an opportunity to bring awareness. We still have issues with just traffic. That’s our key point, is to try to get the traffic under control around here so somebody else doesn’t end up in Andrew’s situation.”

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