“Lucas was an affectionate and caring son who brought joy to so many people’s lives. As a family, we want to ensure his memory lives on.”
A grieving family have spoken of their heartbreak after their son was killed when he was hit by a car in Co Down last July and their desire to ensure his legacy is a positive one.
12-year-old Lucas Trainor was riding a scooter in the Strand area of Portaferry on July 8 when he was involved in a collision with a red Skoda Fabia. He died later from his injuries.
Lucas’s mother, Nichola Kelly, has opened up about losing her son and how they want his legacy to be about helping to prevent future tragedies. The family are hosting a special charity event this weekend to raise funds for a defibrillator in the Strand area of the town.
Nichola said: “No family should ever have to go through the unbearable pain of losing a child, but we want Lucas’s legacy to be a positive one, and a defibrillator in this part of Portaferry could save another person’s life.
“Those who were first on the scene with Lucas had to go into the Square in the town to access a defibrillator, and this took precious time due to the one-way system. With the number of people using the Strand area, we feel another device here is really needed.
“Lucas was an affectionate and caring son who brought joy to so many people’s lives. As a family, we want to ensure his memory lives on. If he were still with us, he would be right in the middle of the fun on Saturday.
Nichola urged the community to come out and support the event in memory of her precious son this Saturday. The aim is to raise £1000 for the medical device, with surplus funds going to the RNLI.
Lucas’s Legacy Run will see participants come together for a run/walk in memory of the popular schoolboy. The event gets underway at 1 pm on Saturday (July 4) from the Strand in Portaferry. A fundraising raffle will also take place on the day.
Nichola praised the RNLI for their efforts to save her son and the support the family have received from the community.
“Portaferry is a wonderful community, and the outpouring of love and support my family has received during the past year has been truly incredible. I would love to see as many people as possible come together on Saturday as we remember and celebrate Lucas while at the same time raising money for this vital equipment.
“Members of the RNLI were first on the scene to help Lucas therefore it is fitting that the surplus funds from Lucas’s Legacy Run goes to support the incredible work these volunteers do. I can’t speak highly enough of these people – they did absolutely everything they could to help Lucas, and we will never forget this.
“Therefore, we don’t care if you run or walk on Saturday; we just want to see as many people as possible showing their support and making this a really positive community event.”
Entry fee on Saturday is £10 per person, while donations can also be made via a Just Giving page.
Peter Andrew Milligan, 51, of Ashmount Park in Portaferry, is currently on remand charged with 11 offences following the death of Lucas.
He was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless driving, failing to stop and failing to remain at the scene of an accident and failing to report it. Milligan also faced charges over driving without insurance and without a licence, and of failing to provide a breath sample to police.
He was further charged with failing to stop, failing to remain at the scene and failure to report relating to a second crash which occurred shortly after the collision in which Lucas died.
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