A teenage boy who survived the 2021 Hillcrest jumping castle incident was killed in an ebike accident on New Year’s Eve.
Lucas Reid, 15, lost control of the bike and hit a pole outside Devonport, Tasmania, at about 7.30pm on Wednesday.
Reid was one of three injured in the Hillcrest tragedy in which six children died.
The Devonport mayor, Alison Jarman, offered her condolences to the family on behalf of the council.
“It’s horrendous. It’s a tragic event … a beautiful young 15-year-old boy,” she said.
“At the end of the day I just hope everyone out there can be kind and considerate and respectful of the situation.”
Tasmania police said a 15-year-old boy from Devonport was riding an ebike on Don Heads Road when he lost control and collided with a pole. A nearby resident tried to help, but Reid died at the scene.
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Insp Nick Clark described the death, along with a separate road fatality, as “tragic”.
“These events are tragic, tragic for everyone, especially the family and friends of these poor people who have passed away,” he said.
A helmet was found at the scene, but Clark said it had not been confirmed whether Reid was wearing it.
Reid has been remembered as a resilient boy and a passionate AFL fan.
A 2022 video published by the GWS Giants shows Reid in the locker room after a game.
The GWS Giants captain, Toby Greene, paid tribute to Reid, telling the Mercury he was a “great young man [who] had overcome so much”.
“His resilience and optimism really stood out,” he said. The Giants CEO, David Matthews, told Channel Seven that Reid had “resilience and energy”.
“The adversity that he got dealt was a massive blow in itself, but I think he wasn’t going to let anything stop him,” he said.
Tasmanian MP Jane Howlett said the state government’s “heart goes out to Lucas’s family, his friends and his loved ones and all the Hillcrest community”.
“It’s absolutely devastating, it really is. And we will continue to support the Hillcrest family and Lucas’s family,” she said.
In 2021, Chace Harrison, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Zane Mellor, Addison Stewart, Jye Sheehan and Peter Dodt died after a “mini tornado” dislodged a jumping castle at Hillcrest primary school.
The operator was found not guilty of a workplace safety charge in June last year.
Police are investigating Reid’s death and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
