13-year-old killed in Mississauga GO train collision remembered as ‘kind, loving boy who adored his mother’

A makeshift memorial has sprung up in Mississauga's Lakeview neighbourhood, near Alexandra Avenue and Fourth Street, for 13-year-old Leandro Santos, who was killed there in a GO Train collision on March 18. (GoFundMe photo)

Community members are coming together to support the grieving mother of Leandro Santos, the 13-year-old boy struck and killed by a GO train in Mississauga over the March Break.

“No mother should ever have to experience the loss of a child,” Sarah Fernandes, a long-time friend of the teen’s mom told CTV News Toronto Monday.

“He was such a kind, loving boy who adored his mother and was always by her side, ready to help. I’m doing my best to support her—being there whenever she needs me, while also giving her and her family the space and time to grieve and process everything.”

Fernandes said the boy’s friends called him Leo, adding that people are writing LLL for “Live Like Leo” on social media, along with a heart and a dove, in his memory.

“This has been incredibly hard on everyone who knew Leo,” she said.

• READ MORE: 13-year-old boy fatally struck by GO train identified by family and friends

As the memorial by the tracks in the Lakeview neighbourhood, near Alexandra Avenue and Fourth Street, grows, a crowdfunding page set up by Fernandes is aiming to help his mother manage funeral expenses, take time to grieve, and access counselling.

Fernandes said she has been friends with Leo’s mom for more than 25 years. She said Santos and his mother lived in Oakville, and he had been staying with his father over the March Break.

‘Her son was her whole world’

“As a single mother, she carried the weight of everything on her own—and now, in the wake of this heartbreaking tragedy, she needs support more than ever,” she wrote on the crowdfunding page, which has garnered more than $22,500 to date.

“Her son was her whole world. He was not only a bright light in her life but also a source of love, hope, and purpose. His passing, caused by a tragic train accident, has left her facing overwhelming grief while also trying to navigate the practical realities that follow such a loss.”

Fernandes said Santos’ mother is deeply touched and grateful for the generosity and support from the community during this heartbreaking time.

The GO train collision happened on March 18 around 2:45 p.m., on the Lakeshore West line in between Long Branch and Port Credit stations.

Const. Tyler Bell, of Peel Regional Police, said the victim and another “young child” were on some type of motorized bike when they crossed the barrier to the train tracks. He said the warning signals were working, noting the gate was down, lights were flashing, and bells were ringing as the train approached.

Investigations underway

According to police, Metrolinx will conduct the portion of the investigation as it relates to the train’s involvement in the collision.

Peel police’s 12 Division Criminal Investigations Bureau will investigate the death.

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with her, for showing compassion, and for honoring her son’s memory in such a powerful way,” Fernandes wrote Sunday on the crowdfunding page.