Lucas Shortreed remembered as 'happy outgoing kid' by friend
In the decade and a half since Lucas Shortreed was killed in a hit and run, Jesse Matthews says he never lost hope someone would be charged in his friends death.
“I didn’t think it would take this long actually,” Matthews said on Friday, two days after police made arrests in the 14-year-old case.
Matthews said he was close friends with Shortreed and that the pair often spent time at each other houses bonding over drinks and sharing their love of fishing.
They met through Matthews’ younger brother in 2003.
“We hit it off right at the get go, we had a lot in common,” Matthews said.
The memories they shared still weigh heavy on his mind.
“My brother would always bring him over to the house,” Matthews said. “He was a happy outgoing kid, full of laughter and he just had a lot of opportunities that he missed out on.”
On Oct. 10, 2008, Shortreed was walking home from a party around midnight when he was killed in a hit and run near the community of Alma.
Matthews said he was at that party too.
“I got dragged [there], Lucas was like ‘come out,’” he recalls.
Even 14 years later, Matthews said he’s haunted by that night and how his friend’s death could have been prevented.
“We had a ride for him. He got all mad and didn’t want the ride and thought he’d walk it off and walk home. Stuff would have changed if he’d took that ride,” he said.
Matthews said he often drives past the spot where Shortreed was killed and still feels overwhelmed.
“It’s heartbreaking. You try to block it off as much as you can.”
Dave Halliburton, 55, is charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident involving bodily harm and obstructing justice.
Anastasia Halliburton, 53, is charged with accessory after the fact and obstructing justice.
None of the allegations have been proven in court. David and Anastasia Hallibuton were released on bail Thursday. Their next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.