Heavy Hearts in Bainbridge Following Fatal Parade Float Accident

5/29/2012 (Updated 5/30/2012 2:22:25 AM)

Tuesday night sadness hung over the Village of Bainbridge.

On Monday, Teddy Cherniak was killed when he fell off his baseball team's float in the Memorial Day parade.

This took place in front of hundreds of horrified witnesses at the end of the parade route near Front and East Main Street.

Bainbridge Fire Chief Kyle Simpkin tells Fox 40 the young victim was an exceptional athlete and his death is a tremendous loss.

Tuesday evening after a storm moved through town, people who knew and loved Teddy laid crosses, flowers, notes, and a baseball in his memory at the scene of the accident.

Schoolmates of Teddy's were just up the road when the accident happened.

"It just all came together so fast. We didn't know what was happening," said fifth grader Gina Haddad who knew Teddy through school and church.

Gina, her younger sister Valerie, and friend Gwen Grmond were at the memorial site with their mothers to pay respect to their friend.

"It makes me feel pretty good knowing that he'll always be here with us," said Haddad.



VIEW VIDEO