Edmonton family mourning loss of five-year-old son

It’s hard for Eddie Sayed to see the collection of stuffed animals outside his home.

The growing memorial on the edge of an apartment complex in Edmonton’s McConachie neighbourhood is to honour his five-year-old son Ali.

“You just can’t believe it’s your son,” Sayed told CityNews.

BACKGROUND: 5-year-old killed after being hit by vehicle in northeast Edmonton

Ali was killed in a collision with a Jeep Cherokee on Monday morning around 10 a.m. as the vehicle pulled out of the parking lot of the Arcadia Place housing complex – on McConachie Boulevard near 62 Street.

“You know how it is, you drive around and see these things, like ‘I can only imagine what the families are feeling,’” Sayed said. “We’re feeling this right now. Now every time we pass by our house, this is what we’re thinking.”

Sayed is now left with pictures and memories of his oldest boy. Most of them show him smiling with his three other siblings.

“He never fought with his siblings, he always played and interacted, took part in games, he was just a regular five-, six-year-old boy.”

Sayed says Ali was being cared for by the family’s nanny when the child jumped over their railing and got loose in the parking lot.

Police say the boy was running on the sidewalk and fell before being struck by the vehicle. Investigators say the 25-year-old driver immediately called 911, and neither speed nor alcohol are believed to be factors.

Ali was taken to a hospital by paramedics, where he later died.

Parking lot safety concerns

Neighbour Ron Schur, who lives just footsteps away, was one of the first to see the aftermath.

“It’s very sad,” Schur said.

Having long had safety concerns with the complex’s parking lot, Schur says he can see how a tragedy like this could happen.

“When you’re coming out of this parking lot, it’s higher and then the driveway drops down. Even in my vehicle, the boy was maybe four-foot nothing, it would be difficult to see him standing up.”

As he waits for more details on how it happened, Ali’s father is pleading with drivers to be careful when they get behind the wheel.

“This is not just about my son,” Sayed said. “This is about everybody else’s son and daughter. When we’re living in communities, these communities should be safe. People should be driving slow and understanding when to stop, when to slow down. It’s crazy.”

The EPS’ major collisions section is continuing to investigate.