Flags at Van Buren District School and the neighboring Abel J. Morneault Memorial Library flew at half staff Thursday as employees, students and the community at large mourned the loss of 8-year-old Emma Cormier, a student at the school who was struck and killed by an ambulance a day prior.
Cormier had just turned 8 on Monday. The crash occurred one week into the school year for MSAD 24, which began classes on Aug. 20.
“It is with deep sadness that we must mourn the loss of our student,” Superintendent Karen DuBois said in a statement. “The MSAD 24 Board of Directors, administration, staff and students send heartfelt sympathies to Emma’s parents and family members. Our small school and community will mourn this loss and never forget the impact this student had already made in our lives.”
An online fundraiser organized to support Cormier’s family had raised nearly $20,000 by Thursday evening. A message posted to the fundraiser notes that she will be remembered for “her infectious laughter, bright smile, and beautiful spirit.”
“Her kindness and compassion were evident in how she cared for others,” the message reads. “Though her time here with us was too brief, the impact she made will forever be felt.”
In the Van Buren District School, counseling and other resources provided by surrounding school districts and the Aroostook Mental Health Center bolstered the support system students had available.
“Today, we put extra supports in place at school to help students and staff process their feelings and talk with trusted adults if they wished,” district Principal Kylie Lapierre said in a statement. “Please know that we are here to support your child in any way possible during this difficult time.
“The County has a way of pulling together whenever the need arises,” Dubois said. “Counselors are available at the school to speak with students, staff, and community members as needed.”
Students at the school wore pink — Cormier’s favorite color — in her honor Thursday, DuBois said. The Van Buren varsity girls soccer team will wear pink ribbons for the remainder of this season.
The crash occurred on U.S. Route 1 around Kennedy Terrace in Van Buren, near where Cormier lived. It is still under investigation.
Maine State Police spokesperson Shannon Moss identified the driver of the ambulance Thursday as 46-year-old Amanda Skidgel of Van Buren and confirmed that the collision happened in the vicinity of ongoing road construction, but noted “there is no indication the construction area had any impact on what happened.”
The ambulance was not responding to an emergency at the time of the crash, police said, and they do not believe speed was a factor. It occurred on the edge of a 25-mph zone.
Officials from the town office and Van Buren Ambulance Service didn’t respond to requests for comment.
But the grief at Cormier’s death was evident throughout town.
At the town’s library, which is so close to the school that their parking lots connect, director Nancy Troeger lowered its flag at the request of a community member.
“We’ve never had a small child killed, since I’ve lived here, in a traumatic, violent way,” Troeger said. “[Lowering the flag] I think shows respect, or it shows sympathy, whatever it is that people need. They might see different things.”
On social media, condolences poured in from throughout Aroostook County and the state at large.
Donita Ayotte, who owns Northern Maine Kolache Co. in Van Buren, called on people to donate in support of the family.
“As a mother myself, I cannot begin to imagine this heartbreak — my heart aches for them, and I know many of yours do too,” Ayotte wrote in a Facebook post. “Let’s wrap this family in love and support.”
The fundraising page echoed that sentiment, and reflected on the impact Cormier will leave.
“Emma will forever be remembered in the hearts of the ones who loved her most,” its message read. “And together, we can help her family find some comfort as they navigate through this unforeseen heartache.”
