NEED TO KNOW
- A 17-year-old boy has died after his car flipped while he was driving alone on a rural road
- Police in New South Wales said that high school student Stirling Heriot was killed in Australia on July 18
- “Stirling was widely admired for his kindness, generosity and willingness to engage warmly with those around him,” the teen’s Sydney-based high school wrote in a statement
A 17-year-old boy died in a car accident, leaving his school community in mourning.
According to reports from Australian news outlets 7 News and News.com.au, police in New South Wales said that high school student Stirling Heriot was killed on Friday, July 18, as he was driving alone on a remote road in Quambone.
Police said that Heriot’s car veered off the road and rolled over at about 6:45 p.m. local time, the outlets reported. Emergency personnel were called to the scene soon after, and the teen was pronounced dead.
The crash took place several miles away from Heriot’s family’s property in the small town of Coonamble, according to the outlets.
Heriot was a student at The King’s School in Sydney, an all-boys school located more than 300 miles away from the site of the crash.
On Sunday, July 20, the boarding school’s official Facebook page announced the news of the teen’s death, sharing that he was a 12th-grade student who was heavily involved with the rugby and rowing teams, and had taken on a project to build a new trailer for use on his family’s farm.
“Stirling was widely admired for his kindness, generosity and willingness to engage warmly with those around him,” the school wrote. “A dedicated contributor to school life, he was a committed member of the 2nd IV in Rowing and had previously been involved in Rugby and Cadets.”
“His persistence and work ethic were evident in all he undertook, especially in Industrial Technology, where he was proudly building a tandem-axle multipurpose farm trailer intended for use on the family property as his major project,” the King’s School’s statement continued.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The teen’s school added that “his loss will be deeply felt by his family, his friends, the Baker Hake boarding community, his year 12 peers, and many others across the school who had the privilege of knowing and teaching him.”
“As we navigate this difficult time, our focus will be on supporting one another, especially our students,” the post concluded. “Please keep the Heriot family in your prayers during this profoundly painful time.”
Dozens of the 17-year-old’s friends, family members and teachers also spoke out about Heriot’s death on Facebook.
“So incredibly tragic,” one commenter wrote. “My heart is broken for the family. Sending all my love and thoughts to the Heriot family and all his friends.”
“Sincere condolences to the family of this beautiful boy and the school community. Far too young,” another person wrote.
Read the full article here
