A 14-year-old Londoner is being remembered as a fun-loving and charming boy as friends and family gathered Thursday night for a vigil at the scene where he died when a pickup truck hit a tree.
Jaden Swanson’s mother was among the mourners. She told CTV News she just planned his funeral and has trouble believing he is gone.
“I’m just so devastated and heart broken and I just want him back,” Rachel Thompson said.
“It took a lot for me to come today.”
She says her son, who attended Clarke Road Secondary School, was a caring family member.
“Jaden was an awesome person. He was a great big brother. He was the best person ever.”
Police say a stolen Ford F-150 truck was travelling eastbound on Admiral Drive, when it left the roadway and hit a tree west of Bonaventure Drive around 2:15 a.m. Wednesday.
The 14-year-old driver was transported to hospital where he was later pronounced dead, officials say. A post-mortem determined he died as a result of his injuries in the crash.
The investigation into the identity of the passenger, who witnesses report fled the scene, is ongoing.
However, officers say their preliminary investigation has led to the arrest of a 14-year-old male, who’s charged with breaching his recognizance.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but speed is believed to have been a factor.
Many of Jaden's friends are sending out their condolences and sharing their memories via R.I.P. Jaden Swanson Facebook pages here, here and here.
Thompson says there will be visitation at the Forest Lawn Funeral Home on Monday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. and Jaden's funeral will also be held there on Tuesday at 1 p.m.
