Family issues statement after 5-year-old Massachusetts girl killed in pedestrian crash

The family of a 5-year-old girl that was killed in a pedestrian crash Tuesday has issued a statement.

About 5:15 p.m., 911 operators received a report of a pedestrian being struck by a tractor trailer truck at the intersection of Elm and Main Streets in Andover.

Sidney Olson was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the truck stopped and is cooperating with police.

Several people who also were in the crosswalk at the time were not struck but taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.

Here is the statement issued by the family:

“We recognize there is media interest in the tragic incident that occurred Tuesday night in Andover. As a family, we’ve prepared the following short statement on the child involved, Sidney Mae Olson. This is the only statement we’ll make, and hope that the media will respect our privacy at this unbelievably hard time.

“On Tuesday night, our family was walking to art class on Main Street in Andover. Our five-year-old daughter, Sidney, and one other family member traversed the cross walk on Elm Street, as the Walk sign showed it was still safe to cross. As long-time residents of the neighborhood, we’ve followed that route hundreds of times before. The rest was a blur, and Sidney was struck by a truck and killed, leaving an impossible void in our lives.

“Sidney was a bright-eyed, energetic girl with springy curls. She was in the Springboard to Kindergarten program at SHED school in Andover, where she was known for her soft-spoken curiosity, and her budding ability to deescalate conflict and find common ground in groups.

“She was fiercely creative, styling her own outfits, choreographing elaborate performances, and filling our home with her unique brand of abstract art, unlike anything we’ve seen. She picked flowers everywhere she went, often plucking a rose from the garden in front of Enterprise Bank, despite her parents’ objections. She memorized every lyric to a dozen Taylor Swift songs, gladly taking the microphone to sing along in crowded karaoke sessions.

“She was an explorer, whether she was roaming the mountains near our Warren, Vermont home in search of porcupine tracks, or circling the New England Aquarium, sea life book in tow, circling her favorites from splashy stingrays to the sleepy octopus.
For her last birthday, she wanted a rainbow theme because ‘it includes everyone’s favorite color.’ Our greatest hope is that Sidney’s boundless love for everyone encourages others to look out for the common good of our community following this tragedy.
This intersection has long been considered dangerous. While we’re not engineers, we also know our community can do better.
We hope the town makes fast changes to that and other high-traffic intersections so no one has to experience the pain we feel right now.”

Eric, Mary Beth, Sidney, and Ellis Olson

The Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office State Police Detective Unit are investigating the incident alongside detectives from the Andover Police Department.