Rodney Boring, 14, was killed in an accident on Highway 97 near Crystal Waters Road last weekend.
Image Credit: Facebook
May 08, 2014 - 12:42 PM
VERNON — The 14-year-old Vernon boy who died in a head-on collision last weekend, was being driven by his older brother.
Rodney Boring, the passenger in a Pontiac Sunfire involved in a head-on crash with a pickup truck on Highway 97 near Oyama, died at the scene, while the 17-year-old driver was airlifted to Kelowna General Hospital with serious injuries.
According to his church's web page, and other sources, the 17-year-old was Boring’s older brother, Kristopher. Fundraising efforts and a memorial page were created this week following the tragic accident.
The Vernon School District mobilized a crisis response team this week at Boring’s high school to help staff and students cope with the news.
“We’ve had to send some kids home,” Monica Lloyd with student support services says. “Now there’s lots of follow-up work to do. Those most affected will be followed by counsellors and assessed to see what they need.”
A factual statement based on RCMP reports and the family’s wishes was read to students earlier this week.
“We work with the family on what their respects are, how they want the information to come out, what information they want to share. We involve them in that piece of it,” Lloyd says.
From there, a common area was created where students could talk about what happened and student-led activities to assist in the grieving process began.
“I’m not sure specifically what activities they did, but a lot of kids want to come together and somehow pay their respects. That might be a creative art project like a large sheet that they would write something on,” Lloyd says.
The response went beyond Boring’s school alone.
“There was fallout with those who knew the family quite well in another school because they did a lot of activities,” Lloyd says. “We sent counselling support there as well.”
Support workers will continue their presence in the school, ensuring everyone, including teachers and staff, is okay.
“We have to watch our teachers as well, they can be as close to these kids as the friends are,” Lloyd says.
On a memorial page, Boring is described as “one of the kindest, most considerate young men one could meet.”
Click here to make a donation to the family.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014