The family of a 5-year-old girl who was fatally hit by a truck while crossing a street in Andover, Massachusetts, this week released a new statement mourning the "bright-eyed, energetic girl" and urging the town to change the intersection where she was killed.
Authorities had not previously identified Sidney Mae Olson. The statement was released Thursday by the Essex County District Attorney's Office; a representative told NBC10 Boston the investigation remained ongoing.
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The child was among a group of people at the intersection of Main Street and Elm Street in the crosswalk near Elm Square, when the crash, involving a tractor-trailer, took place around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, officials have said. The child was pronounced dead at the scene, state police said.
Sidney's family said they were walking to an art class when the crash took place — the girl and another member of the family were in the crosswalk with the walk sign showing, following a route they've taken "hundreds of times before."
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"The rest was a blur, and Sidney was struck by a truck and killed, leaving an impossible void in our lives," the statement continued.
Calling her a "fiercely creative" explorer who loved making art, picking flowers and the music of Taylor Swift, her family said their "greatest hope is that Sidney’s boundless love for everyone encourages others to look out for the common good of our community following this tragedy."
They also noted, echoing concerns that have been shared in the Andover community since the crash, that the intersection is known to be dangerous and should be fixed.
"This intersection has long been considered dangerous. While we’re not engineers, we also know our community can do better. We hope the town makes fast changes to that and other high-traffic intersections so no one has to experience the pain we feel right now," the statement said.
A vigil is planned for Thursday afternoon at Andover's South Church where the community can "share our collective grief."
It may take months for prosecutors to come to a decision on whether charges should be issued in the girl's death, according to a spokesman for the Essex County District Attorney's Office, since they need to wait for the official crash report, which can be extremely detailed.
The truck's driver stopped after the crash and has cooperated with police, according to a statement released by the town Wednesday.
Read Sidney's family's full statement here:
We recognize there is media interest in the tragic incident that occurred Tuesday night in Andover. As a family, we’ve prepared the following short statement on the child involved, Sidney Mae Olson. This is the only statement we’ll make, and hope that the media will respect our privacy at this unbelievably hard time.
On Tuesday night, our family was walking to art class on Main Street in Andover. Our five-year-old daughter, Sidney, and one other family member traversed the cross walk on Elm Street, as the Walk sign showed it was still safe to cross. As long-time residents of the neighborhood, we’ve followed that route hundreds of times before. The rest was a blur, and Sidney was struck by a truck and killed, leaving an impossible void in our lives.
Sidney was a bright-eyed, energetic girl with springy curls. She was in the Springboard to Kindergarten program at SHED school in Andover, where she was known for her soft-spoken curiosity, and her budding ability to deescalate conflict and find common ground in groups.
She was fiercely creative, styling her own outfits, choreographing elaborate performances, and filling our home with her unique brand of abstract art, unlike anything we’ve seen. She picked flowers everywhere she went, often plucking a rose from the garden in front of Enterprise Bank, despite her parents’ objections. She memorized every lyric to a dozen Taylor Swift songs, gladly taking the microphone to sing along in crowded karaoke sessions.
She was an explorer, whether she was roaming the mountains near our Warren, Vermont home in search of porcupine tracks, or circling the New England Aquarium, sea life book in tow, circling her favorites from splashy stingrays to the sleepy octopus.
For her last birthday, she wanted a rainbow theme because ‘it includes everyone’s favorite color.’
Our greatest hope is that Sidney’s boundless love for everyone encourages others to look out for the common good of our community following this tragedy. This intersection has long been considered dangerous. While we’re not engineers, we also know our community can do better. We hope the town makes fast changes to that and other high-traffic intersections so no one has to experience the pain we feel right now.”
Eric, Mary Beth, Sidney, and Ellis Olson
