Northville community mourns sixth-grader killed by falling tree on school trip
NORTHVILLE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – The Northville community is mourning the loss of 12-year-old Declan Carter, a sixth-grade student at Our Lady of Victory Catholic School, who was killed by a falling tree during a school field trip on Thursday.
Mayor Brian Turnbull, a close family friend, spoke with CBS News Detroit's Andres Gutierrez about Declan's profound impact on the city.
"I was hoping he would be the mayor someday," Turnbull said.
Turnbull will never forget the big energy and smile his young neighbor, Declan Carter, always had every time he saw him.
"I'm going to miss our conversations on the sidewalk every time I drive by, every day, you know, and they were out; I'll miss getting a lemonade from him in the hot summer afternoons; it's just something that's unfathomable," Turnbull said.
On Thursday, the sixth-grader at Our Lady of Victory Catholic School was on a field trip to the Howell Nature Center when a tree broke and fell on him.
Declan was airlifted to the University of Michigan's Mott Children's Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
"It was a shock to all of us. If you look around Northville, I got the approval from the governor this morning. All of our flags are at half staff, at the city, all of our businesses up and down, in remembrance of Declan. We're hurt. You know, one person hurts in the community. We're all hurt, and we've come together," Turnbull said.
Declan's family is well-known in Northville. Just last week, they attended the city's Victorian Festival. His father, John, is a council member, and his mother, Liz, contributes to many community events.
"Everybody has rallied behind this, so we will do everything we can for the Carter family. They mean a lot to us. And I think we were all unbelievably emotional last night, you know, in the city, and not much sleep was done in Northville last night," Turnbull said.
He adds Declan loved to run and was a standout student.
On Friday, Declan's school canceled classes to provide counseling and support services for his classmates and the families affected by the tragedy.
"Make sure you hug your kids; you know, hug those that are close to you. You never know what tomorrow brings," Turnbull said.
