An entire community came together to remember the short life of a little boy who died Monday after he was hit by semi-truck.
6-year old Holden Gardner was the sole victim of the accident, and friends, family and classmates are honoring him right where the wreck happened.
Crying classmates from Falcon Hill Elementary were there, alongside Red Mountain High School students like Aaron Heredia and Bryan Torres, who feel for their teacher, Brent – Holden’s dad.
They said this is no doubt a devastating loss for their family.
“When it comes to any tragedy at our school, this is what we do,” one parent, Michael Grant said.
Teddy bears, balloons, bouquets and little notes bearing the name Holden Gardner have been dropped off. Strangers and students paid their respects to the sweet 6-year-old boy.
“We're really sorry. We're always going to remember him, I mean, personally, I didn't know him, but he seemed like a really good kid,” Heredia said.
The sophomores can’t fathom what the family is going through or how heartbreaking it must be.
“We're really just shocked how quickly the mood changed and how tragic this must've been. I can't imagine how they're feeling and what they're going through, especially at such a young age,” Torres said.
Mesa police said the truck driver turned off Jensen onto Power Road when the backend clipped the curb and hit Holden, injuring him and ultimately taking his life.
“Our prayers and thoughts are with the family and the family Falcon Hill and the family of Red Mountain, and hopefully this doesn't happen again to an innocent child,” Grant said.
The investigation is ongoing, but at this point, officers said the driver of the truck was not impaired and did stay at the scene.
“We’re praying for you, man. I really hope everything goes alright. It's crazy, we're here for you, we're here for everyone,” Heredia said.
Meanwhile, the memorial continues to grow out at the intersection as the Gofundme does online.
Donations are pouring in for the Gardner family to help ease their hearts during an absolutely heartbreaking time.