'A joy to be around': 6-year-old girl fatally struck by SUV in Toronto identified by loved ones

A six-year-old girl from Toronto fatally struck by an SUV last week was a joyful child with an affinity for puzzles whose loss has left her family and the community reeling in grief, according to loved ones.

“She was just such a joy to be around,” Daniele Conte, a Toronto resident and long-time family friend of the Drozd family told CTV News Toronto in an interview Tuesday. “She was super friendly with any other children she would come across.”

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Charlotte Drozd was walking with her mother on Dundas Street West, approaching High Park Avenue, in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood on July 5 when police say she “suddenly ran" into the road and was struck by an SUV. She was transported to SickKids Hospital in critical condition.

On Monday, police announced Charlotte had succumbed to her injuries. No charges are expected to be laid, police previously said.

Charlotte Drozd can be seen above. (Handout by Michelle Vieira)

“They’re shattered,” Michelle Vieira, another family friend, said of the Drozd family. “There’s just too much to process.”

The young girl was smart for her age, Conte said, and had an affinity for puzzles.

“She loved to make art with her mom,” she said. “They’d make matching art pieces together.”

The loss of Charlotte has hit the community hard, and the response has been "overwhelming," Vieira said. A memorial set up near where Charlotte was hit has seen community members leave candles, flowers, and teddy bears in an effort to pay their respects.

 

 

 

 

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“Stores in the neighbourhood have reached out and sent their condolences, and neighbours have been taking Charlotte’s mother on walks,” Vieira said. “It makes me want to cry – it’s so beautiful.”

On Monday, the Toronto Junction BIA called the news of Charlotte's death "devastating" in a written statement posted to Instagram.

"Our hearts are heavy with sadness as we share the devastating news of the passing of Charlotte," it reads. "Our deepest condolences go out to her family during this unimaginably difficult time."

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Vieira and Conte started a GoFundMe to support their friends. They say it’s too early for Charlotte’s family to know the entirety of the support they’ll need, but that they want to be prepared when the time comes.

 

“They're still grieving right now,” Vieira said. “But [the funds] will be for whatever they need moving forward.”

“If she needs more time off of work, or if there's any therapy that her daughter might need or a memorial service – whatever she decides,” she said.

At the time of publication, the fundraiser had amassed over $68,000 in donations after three days online.