Family’s tribute for a ‘one in a million’ boy

Second teenager who died in accident will be remembered at school

The family of a teenager who died in a car crash earlier this month have paid tribute to their “one in a million” boy.

Connor Aird’s family issued a statement through Police Scotland as he was officially named as the second victim of the accident on Standing Stane Road on the morning of Sunday November 11.

Connor, 17, lost his fight for life at the weekend, while his friend Ethan King, also 17, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A second book of condolence has now been opened at the pair’s former school.

Parents and carers, plus former and current pupils at Kirkcaldy High School are being invited to write messages in the book and share their memories of Connor, one of three passengers in the vehicle that crashed.

It comes after more than 1,000 people gathered on Kirkcaldy Promenade on Saturday evening to pay their respects and celebrate the pair’s lives.

Hundreds of messages have already been left for Ethan’s family in a separate book of condolence, but the school wanted to do likewise for Connor’s family.

Rector Derek Allan admitted he had been “blown away” by the community’s response on Saturday, when family, friends and classmates lit candles, made signs and laid flowers along the sea wall.

“Our youth gets a bad name and I never feel it’s justified,” he said.

“They have certainly shown their best side here.”

A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign to raise cash to help pay for Ethan’s funeral raised £10,000 and a similar initiative for Connor looks likely to have similar results. It was created on Monday and by lunchtime yesterday it had raised £1,230 in just 18 hours.

Ethan’s funeral is due to take place at Kirkcaldy Crematorium next Wednesday November 28 at 3pm, to which all family and friends are invited.

Donations can be given at the crematorium for the Air Ambulance Service and mourners have been told they can wear an item of orange and black – the colours of his football team Glenrothes Athletic – or dress as they would for a night out.

Danny Stevens, 18, a third passenger, is still in hospital in a stable condition, while the 17-year-old driver of the Vauxhall Corsa involved in the crash is under arrest.

Sergeant Nicola Young from Fife’s Road Policing Unit said: “Our investigations continue into the collision and I would urge anyone who witnessed what happened, and has not yet spoken to officers, to get in touch as soon as possible.”

Ethan King, left, and Connor Aird, who both died in a road accident near Kirkcaldy on November 11.