Distraught mother searches for answers after daughter killed by garbage truck while walking home from school

 Dionne Wilson, National Post Staff | 13/03/08 8:54 PM ET

Alex Urosevic for National Post   A woman lays flowers at a memorial for Kayleigh Callaghan-Belanger (inset) a day after the girl was struck and killed by a garbage truck, March 8, 2013.

There was as much anger as grief on Friday as a waterfront Scarborough school mourned the death of a five-year-old killed by a garbage truck.

“I’m just trying to understand how exactly this happened, at a four-way stop sign street right after school when kids are walking,” Jessica Belanger, whose daughter Kayleigh Callaghan-Belanger died while walking home on Thursday, told CTV Toronto.
‘‘It could have been anyone’s child.’’

Kayleigh, a senior kindergartener at Cliffside Public School, was crossing the street when a City of Toronto garbage truck made a fatal left turn, police said. Three out of four children were struck, but Kayleigh was the only casualty.

A police spokesman said an investigation is ongoing, and could not yet discuss the possibility of charges.

Cliffside’s principal, Ken Samuels, told reporters the school has no crossing guard, and he expects parents will start advocating for them.

“This is one of the first times this happened around this area and I know that parents are very upset about what happened, but we’ll never know when these things will, do happen.”
“You’re risking your kids” said Tillie Koerner, a volunteer at Cliffside.

A few dozen children and parents gathered at the corner where Kayleigh was hit at 3:46 p.m., exactly a day after she died, for a moment of silence. Tearful children sought clarification about what happened.

“Did Kayleigh die?” asked a young boy.
A blond haired girl, no more than six-years-old, eating snow from the ground responded “Yeah. She was in my school: she was in my class.”

Alex Urosevic for National Post    Jessica Belanger (with hoodie) cries at the memorial for her daughter Kayleigh.

Friends, family and neighbours gathered all day, leaving behind cards, candles, flowers and stuffed animals. Some of the parents said the animals left were personal favourites of their children.
“She was a sweet little thing, she was so quiet,” said one parent.

Described by her teacher as an easygoing child who loved her curly strawberry blond locks, Kayleigh wanted to be a bus driver and marry Justin Bieber. She got along well with everyone in her class and will be “deeply missed,” her teacher said.

Trained counsellors were brought in to discuss Kayleigh’s death, with role-playing scenarios and a chance for students to ask questions.

“We have a number of employees from the board, counsellors are helping both students and staff and parents who will need there help,” said Mr. Samuels.

A funeral service is scheduled next Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Scarborough.

National Post