Granite Ridge Student Deceased in May 10 Car Crash

Jeff Green | May 15, 2024

Burke Settlement Road is winding and hilly, and last week the worst thing happened, as 6 teenagers in one vehicle were headed up the road at lunchtime.

There was a rollover and the vehicle struck a tree. One boy, Alex Cryer, who lived in Mountain Grove,died and the other five were injured, two of them seriously.

Police cruisers and ambulances sped to the scene, including an air ambulance, to tend to the injured.

The word got out about what happened through the OPP and Social Media quickly on Thursday afternoon, as police reconstructed the scene in order to determine the cause of the accident.

It all unfolded in a predictable manner, one that everyone has seen through news reports from across North America whenever something like this happens. It all has an unreal quality.

Granite Ridge is a small school, however. There are only about 350 students in the entire school, from Kindergarten to Grade 12, dozens in each grade, sometimes less.

GREC Prinicipal Carrie Moore broke the new to parents in a letter on the day of the crash.

“It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we inform you that our school community has suffered a tragedy today.  One of our students, Alex Cryer, has died following a major motor vehicle accident that happened today during the lunch break. He was a cherished member of our school community, and his loss is felt deeply by all who knew him. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. As an entire school community, we offer our deepest sympathy at this time.

“Five other Granite Ridge students were also involved in the accident and have suffered injuries. We are supporting these students and their families, and we will support them for as long as needed.  

The OPP reported on the incident at the time and followed up the next day, but at this time there has been no update about the conditions of the other occupants of the car.

None of the kids in the car were strangers to anyone else in the school, so the ripples of shock and grief rolled over the community quickly in the hours and days following the accident and are still rolling.

As Mayor Frances Smith, who lives near the accident scene, put it: “There is no way to help. That's the hard part. There is nothing to do, right at this moment ... it's a really tough time for everyone,” she said, in a tv interview.

There will be opportunities for the greater community to help out as time passes. A Gofundme appeal has been launched to help the families that were involved.

(Visitation for Alex Cryer takes place today at Goodellows Funeral Home, and the funeral is tomorrow, Friday. See the obituary for details.