VAN BUREN, Maine — A community is cloaked in grief after a vibrant young life was tragically cut short on a familiar street. Eight-year-old Emma Cormier, who had just celebrated her birthday with cake and joy days earlier, was struck and killed by an ambulance steps from her home Wednesday afternoon, leaving a northern Maine town heartbroken and searching for solace.
The unimaginable incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Main Street, a stretch of U.S. Route 1 that courses through the center of Van Buren. According to Maine State Police, Emma was attempting to cross the road in the area of Kennedy Terrace when she was struck by a vehicle from the Van Buren Ambulance Service.
In a cruel twist of fate, the very symbol of aid and rescue became the source of unspeakable tragedy. The ambulance operator, identified as 46-year-old Amanda Skidgel, a local resident herself, immediately stopped and, along with other emergency personnel who converged on the scene, rendered desperate aid to the child. Despite their exhaustive efforts, Emma Cormier succumbed to her injuries there on the roadside.
Authorities have been meticulous in their initial investigation, noting that the ambulance was not en route to an emergency call with its lights and sirens activated. Officials have also stated that preliminary evidence suggests speed was not a factor in the devastating collision. The full circumstances surrounding the incident remain under active investigation by the Maine State Police.
But beyond the cold facts of the police report lies a profound loss that has shaken this close-knit community to its core. Emma is remembered not as a statistic, but as a beacon of light. An online fundraiser established to support her grieving family describes a little girl whose “infectious laughter, bright smile, and beautiful spirit radiated warmth and love.”
The fundraiser, which has seen an overwhelming outpouring of support—raising nearly $15,000 in less than a day—paints a picture of a family in complete shambles, their world irrevocably broken. The funds will help the family cover funeral expenses and the overwhelming practicalities that follow such an unforeseen loss.
The void left by Emma’s passing is felt on every street and in every home in Van Buren. Neighbors and friends have begun to rally, holding the Cormier family close in their collective heart, a testament to a little girl who, in her eight brief years, made an impact that will forever be felt. The warmth of her memory now stands in stark contrast to the cold emptiness of a community learning how to say goodbye.
