'Tragic accident': Teen dies after falling from Memorial Day parade float
The incident occurred late Monday morning during a Memorial Day parade in Green, located south of Akron in Summit County.
The teenager -- Matthew Schultz of North Canton -- was riding in the parade on a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck, authorities said. He fell off the front of the trailer and was then run over by the trailer's tires, sustaining severe injuries, authorities said.
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The trailer, which had several children riding on it, was traveling at a speed of less than 5 mph, according to Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree.
Fire personnel who were already on site for the parade immediately responded. The teen was transported in critical condition to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the Green Fire Department said.
The incident remains under investigation, the Summit County Sheriff's Office said, referring to the death as a "tragic accident."
The parade ended immediately, Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS reported.
"Our hearts go out to the family at this time of terrible loss," Green Mayor Rocco Yeargin told reporters on Monday. "We look to support them as a Green community any way that we can."
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The Green school district has offered counseling support to the North Canton school district, the mayor said.
"The loss of a young life is deeply devastating, and our thoughts and prayers are with Matthew's family, friends, classmates, and teachers during this unimaginable time," the North Canton City Schools District said in a statement on Tuesday. "He was a kind and caring student. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and to everyone affected by this tragedy."
Family friend Danielle Paciorek said the family is experiencing "unimaginable heartbreak."
"Matthew's absence leaves a hole that cannot be filled," Paciorek said on behalf of the Schultz family during a press briefing on Tuesday.
She said the family wants people to "remember him not for how he left this world, but for the joy he brought to it."
ABC News' Alexandra Faul contributed to this report.
'Tragic accident': Teen dies after falling from Memorial Day parade float originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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