School offers counseling for students, families grieving over 11-year-old’s death
Officials have identified the 11-year-old bicyclist who died Monday after he was struck by a car on University Avenue.
Madison police said officers were called to University Avenue and Ridge Street at 9:13 a.m. on a report of a traffic incident. The boy was taken to a hospital.
Madison police officials said a preliminary investigation indicates that traffic on University Avenue may have had a green light at the time of the crash.
The Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a news release Tuesday afternoon that Matthew Court, of Madison, died at the hospital from injuries he suffered in the traffic crash just a few hours earlier.
Several lanes of eastbound University Avenue were shut down during the investigation.
Stuffed animals and flowers were placed near the intersection on University Avenue where the boy was struck.
Police said officers didn’t find a helmet at the scene of the crash.
The investigation is ongoing.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family. Another GoFundMe page has been set up to help invest in music, which was one of Matthew’s biggest passions.
Grief counseling will be offered at the Shorewood Elementary School library Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon, according to an email sent to staff and parents from the Madison Metropolitan School District. Counselors will be hosting a circle discussion at 10 a.m. Thursday.
“We will be offering children, accompanied by a parent or guardian, a place to gather,” the email said. “Your family may choose to come and simply sit with each other in a comfortable environment. Others may come simply to reminisce with others who knew Matthew.”
Several members of the MMSD student services staff will also be available to offer support for children and families, according to the email.
“Students have expressed their sadness, expressed how much they will miss Matthew,” Shorewood Hills Elementary School principal Anu Ebbe said. “They are feeling sad. They are also relying on each other for support right now.”
School officials said they expect to have a memorial service for Matthew once school starts.
