Fellow students mourn their friend at site of weekend accident
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Proctor High School students in Utica gathered at a tree on Albany Street Wednesday to mourn a friend and classmate who crashed into the tree on Saturday night, and died Tuesday evening.
Christopher Swider was 17 years old. On Wednesday, his friends left candles, cards, dreamcatchers and other mementos at the crash site. Many wore red clothing and red ribbons, and some even tied a large red ribbon around the tree. They said red was Swider's favorite color. Up to 50 teens met at the site early Wednesday morning. By mid-morning, Utica police, responding to neighbor concerns about the large group, asked the students to leave. This upset many students. Utica police are still investigating the accident, and say they could have an idea of the speed at which Swider was traveling by the end of the week. They are still awaiting toxicology results to determine if alcohol was a factor in the crash, although officials have already said they suspect it might have been. Thanks to an elaborate surveillance system at Bleecker Street bar, "Tropical Delight" Utica police have been able to determine that the teens in Christopher Swider's car were never in the bar. Utica Police Chief Mark Williams says the car parked across the street from the bar for about five minutes Saturday night, and the teens in the vehicle talked to someone outside the car. Chief Williams says the car then pulled into the parking lot next to the bar, where it remained for 15-20 minutes while the teens inside talked to someone outside the car. Williams says victim Swider and the other four teens in his car never went into the bar, or even left the vehicle. Proctor High School Principal Steven Falchi says the faculty's thoughts and prayers are with the Swider family. He says that, right now, staff are listening to kids and talking to kids. Falchi says that, even though the memorial weekend holiday starts tomorrow, support will be available to students throughout the holiday weekend. Parents can call Hospice at 315-735-6484 or the Bereavement Center at 315-765-0456. A candlelight vigil was held Tuesday night for Swider's passenger, Stephanie Hawkins, who remains in serious condition at St. Elizabeth Medical Center. Her friends and family gathered at the Holland Patent Village Park to show their support. |
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