Police are trying a different tactic to bring a resolution to the death of 18-year-old Lucas Shortreed … by bringing the case back into the public eye.
Police hope public billboards and and a potential $50,000 reward will generate new leads in the October 2008 hit-and-run fatality.
Family members, friends, members of the media and officers packed a press conference on July 30 at the Rockwood OPP station.
“On the 10th of October, 2008, 18-year-old Lucas Shortreed’s young life was cut short by a hit-and-run driver,” said Wellington OPP detachment Commander Inspector Scott Smith.
“He left a house party in the village of Alma at approximately 11pm and began a 14km walk to his residence in Fergus. He was walking eastbound on the south shoulder of [County] Road 17 when he was struck by an unknown driver. The driver of the eastbound vehicle that struck Lucas, continued on without rendering any assistance to him, leaving Lucas to tragically die alone on the side of the highway. The vehicle that struck Mr. Shortreed received significant damage as a result of the impact.”
Smith continued, “The damage is known to include a broken windshield, damage to the front bumper, broken lighting pieces, and a shattered passenger side window.
“Through forensic analysis, it has been determined the vehicle in question was a 1995 to 1997 Neon, white in colour. The paint from the vehicle was determined to be the original paint to that vehicle. That damage may, or may not, have been repaired as of today.
“The point to be made is that there is no way the driver of the vehicle was unaware that a collision had occurred,” Smith said.
However, he added that at this point, “Wellington County investigators have exhausted the majority of their leads. As a result, the Ontario Provincial Police is announcing a $50,000 reward to assist in the identification, apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of Lucas Shortreed.”
Accompanying Smith for the press conference was Shortreed’s mother, Judie Gale, and his grandfather, Gerald Shortreed.
Smith explained that with the financial assistance of Gerald Shortreed, public banners advertising the reward have been placed on the side of a transport truck owned by Armstrong Trucking, of Arthur. That truck will travel around the province with the message prominently displayed.
The same advertisement is being placed on a billboard on Highway 6, in the area of County Road 7 (the Elora turnoff) just north of Guelph.
The billboard space was donated by Kevin Goodfellow, of Fergus.
Smith added that another portable sign was created and will be stationed in strategic locations to draw the public’s attention to this fatality.
“So whether you are the suspect driver, or a passenger in the vehicle, or just someone with knowledge of who left Lucas Shortreed to die at the side of the road, you need to know that this will haunt you for the rest of your life.
“You need to know that we will not give up on our quest to find the person responsible for this death,” Smith added.
“Understandably … as the driver or as the person with direct knowledge, you are scared. But I remind you that you have a legal and moral obligation to do the right thing and come forward. Lucas was a young man, just entering the prime of his life. He was a son, grandson, a friend to many.
“I am asking everyone, the public, those involved, to help the family bring some closure to this tragic turn of events.
Smith said anyone “with any information” can call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or if they wish to remain anonymous, they can call Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-TIPS.
He pointed out that calling Crime Stoppers would not entitle that person to the $50,000 reward, although there would be a financial reward as determined by Crime Stoppers.
When asked about the unusual nature of going to a rolling billboard throughout southwestern Ontario for a hit-and-run pedestrian, Smith said, “We have a tragic loss of life, and in the loss of that life a crime was committed. Too frequently, fail to remain accidents, particularly those that are fatal, are difficult to solve and resolve and to bring to a proper conclusion before the courts. We are determined that we are not going to permit that to happen in this particular case. We are going to exhaust every means that we have to bring this person to justice.
Smith added that he hopes this approach will expand the area from which to draw information.
“As much as there has been local interest and knowledge of this particular story, there is a possibility that this vehicle was from well outside this area. As a result, people from outside the immediate area may be aware of what happened.”
The latest approach will reach a broader population.
Smith said that even a passenger in the vehicle would be aware of what transpired.
“The troubling thing for a passenger that might have been in the vehicle – this is going to haunt them legitimately for the rest of their life … that they witnessed a death … not unlike a homicide.
“Unfortunately, the only way they are going to be able to reach any sort of peace is by coming forward.”
Later, Smith said it could sometimes give nightmares to think about all that the young man went through – whether he died instantly or whether he didn’t, and if he suffered.
He said people sometimes have a need to express that, and talk to someone or others about it.
“Those are the people we really want to reach.”
He noted there are a number of fail-to-remain incidents that are less serious – such as property damage or lesser injuries. Those crimes are a fail to stop charge, and jail time is an option, as well as a fine and suspension of a driver’s license.
While the province is offering the reward, it is through the financial assistance of the family that the billboard and signage came to pass.
Gerald Shortreed said it would bring closure for the family if the case is solved.
The campaign is something where the local community appears willing to pitch in as well.
John Raftis, general manager of Ivan Armstrong Trucking, said that in addition to special events, the trailer advertisement about the case would be on daily runs through Mount Forest, Arthur, Fergus, Cambridge, Kitchener, down to Hamilton, Toronto, Mississauga, as far as Oshawa and as far north as Barrie and back through Orangeville.
It would be through area communities most days, most weeks for sure.
The odd time, it would travel beyond those areas, Raftis said.
When asked what prompted the move, Raftis said he was contacted and his response was “by all means let’s do it. I have a trailer here … take it … do what you want.”
While the trailer is not going to be used exclusively for display or special events, Raftis has no qualms taking it out of service for those events as needed.
Judie Gale, Lucas’s mother, is still troubled by not only her son’s death, but that no one has come forward.
“They obviously know that they killed him. What’s to stop them from driving? What’s to stop them from hitting someone else?
“That’s what I worry about. Lucas was a great kid … I loved him a lot. But the thing that I found out after he died, was how much everyone else loved him.”
She cited the stories gathered in a book in his memory.
“He made sure people got home from parties. He’d walk girls home, to make sure they were safe, then turn around and walk back to the party.”
Shortly before that night, Lucas had stopped to pick up a kitten from the side of the road and told her, “I always wanted an orange kitten. We still have that cat. He’d come into the house every day, pick it up and hug it, and tell it he loved it.
“He was just so caring and that’s what I’ve heard over and over again from so many people.”
She said the past year has been difficult for herself and her family.
“Christmas, of course, was hard. But we’ve tried to make the best of it and move forward, because we know Lucas would want us to. He wouldn’t want us to sit, and die too.
“I think the hardest part for me, even this last weekend. We’d planned to go to the truck show and watch Trooper, because even at his funeral we played We’re here for a good time, not a long time.”
He said that had been planned for about a month, then she had to phone her son who was flying in from Thunder Bay, to let him know about the trailer that was going to be there and the $50,000 reward.
“It seems every time we try to have a good time, there’s always this shadow. If we could just find that person.”
She said that it seems that even in the grocery store, almost every week someone asks if they have found the person responsible.
“It’s so far reaching, the people this has affected. Someone has to know. Someone has to be missing that car, or a neighbour who knew someone used to drive a Neon and hasn’t seen it in the past year.”
Gale said that even if that person does not come forward, she hopes maybe a friend or neighbour will.
“Because I still believe he’d do it again. They’re still driving.”
