gg_all_da_way

Bus kills high-school basketball star
Popular North Vancouver student struck as he stepped out of van
Quinn Keast (right) plays for the Handsworth Royals in a March 2005 game against the Kitsilano Blue Demons. The Handsworth team won this year's B.C. championship.



Lora Grindlay, Ian Austin and Frank Luba, The Province
Published: Monday, June 12, 2006

Handsworth Secondary grads are mourning the loss of a star basketball player killed during graduation festivities early yesterday.

Quinn Keast, 18, one of the sparkplugs for the Handsworth Royals, stepped into the path of a bus on his way to an after-grad party.

"We're going to miss him and we all love him," said Leslie Sacre, whose son Robert played on the North Vancouver school team with Quinn for three years.

"The kids will miss his smile, his kind heart, his gentle soul and knowing that he's somebody that just always kept working hard in trying to achieve his own goals."

Sacre said Quinn was the heart behind the senior boys' team, which won the B.C. high-school basketball championship this year.

"Everybody loved Quinn," she said. "He was just one of the nicest kids that you could ever meet. His family need to be so proud of him.

"The kids are going to be devastated. It's a great loss to the community."

Randy Storey, head coach of the Handsworth Royals, joined more than 100 students at the school yesterday as they sobbed, hugged and hung their heads in disbelief.

Sobbing, he said: "It's a loss for our community. I don't know that I can talk about it right now."

Trauma counsellors were on hand, and will be again today as the school enters its final three days of classes, with exams expected to start Thursday.

"There was a lot of shock and a lot of sadness," said Ken Neale, North Vancouver's Safe and Caring Schools Co-ordinator. "There were students and parents and staff supporting each other."

After the official dry grad at the Hyatt Hotel on Saturday night, Quinn and six others hitched a ride to the after-grad at Relish nightclub.

Quinn stepped out of the van near the corner of Smithe and Howe streets, and -- as his six friends watched in horror -- he was struck by a bus at 12:10 a.m.

The driver of the No. 10 trolley bus was a first-year employee.

"[Quinn] apparently got out of a car and ran in front of the bus," said TransLink spokesman Drew Snider.

Quinn had almost reached the curb when he was hit, Snider said.

North Vancouver School District superintendent Dr. Robin Brayne said the grad class is devastated.

"This is horrific and they have all gathered at the school," said Brayne.

"Most of the members of the school district's critical incidence response team are there with the students to help them understand or manage this, which is going to be very difficult to do.

"This was just a dreadful, terrible, tragic, horrible accident and I think the grad-class kids are just really going to be troubled by this. It's awful."

Handsworth parent Barry Forward cringed as he drove by the school yesterday, where black rain clouds and a violent thunderstorm added to the sombre mood inside.

"This should be one of the happiest days and nights of their lives, and instead you have this sad, tragic event happen," sighed Forward, fighting back tears. "I have a son in Grade 8, and a daughter who will go to Handsworth next year.

"It just makes you want to hug your kids."

Quinn has a twin sister, Jamie, who played on the Handsworth girls' basketball team.


This is such a sad story; my friend knew him... and he hadn't even graduated yet.. its just so horrific, you never think it'll be a bus accident at Grad.. maybe a car accident, but thats it

RugarTheGreat

Sorry to hear that...it's always hard to lose someone.

ColdLinoleum

That's really sad. He was so young too.