Jeremy Asselin is glad he has a cousin like Tyson Grinsell.
Some quick thinking by Grinsell, a fourth-grader at Robert Moore School, ensured an ambulance was dispatched immediately after seeing his eight-year-old cousin get struck by a pick-up truck just before noon last Wednesday at the corner of Second Street East and Armit Avenue.
“I ran to Sparky’s and told them to call 911,” Grinsell recalled Monday. “I went to get Jeremy’s mom [Nancy Asselin] and showed her where he got hit.
“Then I went home,” he added.
Asselin was rushed to La Verendrye hospital, where he was treated for some scrapes and bruises, as well as a mild concussion. He stayed overnight for observation and returned home the next day.
Grinsell remains humble about his actions despite praise from his family. But he did attribute his know-how to one thing–school.
“I learned what to do from the DARE [Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education] program,” he noted. “That’s why we go to school–to learn to do what’s right.”
Fort Frances OPP Cst. Cameron Howard was pleased to hear Grinsell acted upon what he learned from DARE.
“I think it’s excellent the kids are learning, and that the youngster in question had the initiative to call when his cousin was in the accident,” he remarked.
“It’s nice to see OPP initiatives are working. An excellent sign,” he added.
“We’re all very proud of him,” said Lisa Grinsell, the boy’s mother. “It’s good to know that if something bad happens, he knows how to react. He won’t panic and he’ll do the right thing.”
Meanwhile, Asselin, who was hit by the eastbound vehicle while running across Second Street East on a red light, indicated he had learned his lesson after the unsettling incident.
“I’ve learned to be more careful,” he revealed shyly.
Asselin’s parents, Ted and Nancy, have been pleased with their son’s recovery. In fact, his father wasn’t surprised to see him up and active less than a week after the accident.
“He’s a goer. He wants to runs all the time. But hopefully, this will slow him down a bit,” he chuckled.
He added his son hasn’t appeared “shaken” since the accident, and that his injuries were healing well. “You can’t even tell he was hurt. He’s just got a little black eye now.”
The driver of the pickup truck, which had Manitoba licence plates, was not charged in the accident.