Hamilton family mourns death of boy, 9, killed in rollover crash on QEW

A nine-year-old boy from Hamilton tragically killed in a single-vehicle rollover crash on the QEW in Oakville is being remembered as “joyful, vibrant, adventurous, and courageous.”

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers were called for the crash on the westbound QEW at Bronte Road at around 2 a.m. on Monday. The vehicle had three occupants, with the young boy suffering critical injuries. He later died in hospital.

The nine-year-old was identified as Damien Maracle of Hamilton.

“Damien was taken from us way too early,” Damien’s aunt Jennifer Court, who organized a GoFundMe in his honour, said. “The sweetest boy with a heart of gold. His absence leaves an irreplaceable void in our lives. The family is grappling with grief and loss that no words can truly capture.”

OPP said Maracle was in the vehicle with his father, who was driving, and another family member. They were travelling home from a fishing trip and had been on the road for several hours before the fatal rollover crash.

Police said the boy was ejected from the truck as a result of the collision.

It’s believed that the boy’s father fell asleep, and the pickup truck wandered off the highway and flipped over several times before ending up in a ditch. Damien’s father suffered serious injuries and remains in hospital. The second family member, confirmed to be the boy’s uncle, was not injured.

“If you spent five minutes with Damien, you had a Damien story,” Court told CityNews. “An amazing kid. Everybody who knew him loved him.”

The nine-year-old boy was a Hamilton Bengals U-11 lacrosse team member for two years. The organization recognized the tragic loss and issued a statement following the news of Damien’s passing.

“It’s a native sport. Damien really loved the whole native culture,” Court said.

“In [Damien’s] memory, we are reaching out to our community to offer support during this challenging time,” Court wrote on the GoFundMe page. “As we navigate through the emotional turmoil that comes with such a tragedy, your contributions will go a long way.”

As of Thursday, more than $29,000 has been raised on GoFundMe, with a previous goal of $18,000.

“We’re so thankful to everybody who came together. It means so much to us.”