Friends paid tribute with a memorial for a 14-year-old cyclist who died Thursday morning after being hit by a truck in Morden Wednesday afternoon.
Taylor Penner was walking her bike across an intersection when the semi turned and hit her, said police.
Penner was with her sister who was not hit.
Penner was rushed to Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg, where she later died.
Friends of Taylor shared their memories of her through notes left at a memorial. They also spoke publicly.
“She always brightened up a person’s day,” said Cade Kowalski, who knew Taylor since pre-school. “It’s going to be weird not having her sit beside me anymore.”
Friend Julie Penner, no relation, said Taylor had lots of friends and a bubbly personality.
“Taylor was a really nice girl," she said.
The flag outside Morden Collegiate, where Penner was in Grade 9, was lowered in her memory Friday. School principal Souhail Soujah said grief counsillors are available to students and staff to help them cope.
Even people that did not know her stopped by to pay tribute.
“It’s just sad. That’s part of our youth, our future,” said Al Hilderbrand, a Morden resident.
Police are waiting until the ongoing investigation is complete before determining if the driver of the semi will face any charges, said Morden’s police chief.
- with a report from Ina Sidhu
