Grief counselors on hand after tragedy at local Memorial Day parade

GREEN, Ohio (WJW) — The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Summit County Sheriff’s Department are investigating after a teenager died during a Memorial Day parade in Green. Authorities said he fell off the parade float trailer he was riding on. Early Tuesday morning, the medical examiner publicly identified the teenager as Matthew Schultz, 13, of North Canton. The Summit Metro Crash Team is helping with the investigation. This response team is a group of police agencies from all around Summit County. They are working to determine how this tragic accident could have happened. The accident happened just before 11:30 a.m. on Monday as everyone was gathered in Green for the city’s Memorial Day parade. Authorities said the 13-year-old was riding atop a trailer, which was being pulled by a pick-up truck. Investigators said he fell from the front of the trailer and was then struck by the wheels as the trailer continued to roll down the parade route. Green Firefighters attending the parade were there immediately to try and help. The teenager was rushed to a hospital in Akron where he was pronounced dead shortly after noon, said the medical examiner. The teen was a student at North Canton City Schools. The district said they are deeply saddened and that their crisis management team is taking action. They will have counselors available to help grieving students and staff. The teen’s identity has not yet been released.