Friend of teen killed in crash near Ardrossan says he was vibrant, generous: ‘He shone bright’

Simone Levesque still can’t believe her friend is gone.

“Tristan was an amazing person. He had a vibrant personality. Any time you walked into the room, you’d see his smile and he’d make you smile. He made your day every time he came into work. He was always laughing at my crappy jokes.”

On Tuesday, Tristan Tice-Kidston, a 17-year-old student at Ardrossan Junior Senior High School, was killed in a crash on Highway 16 at Range Road 224, east of Edmonton. The other driver also died. Three other people were injured.

READ MORE: Student among 2 people killed in Highway 16 crash east of Edmonton

Levesque worked with Tice-Kidston at a local Tim Hortons.

“I was the one who trained him and over time, we became good friends and we hung out outside of work as well.”

Her manager called her on Tuesday to give her the sad news.

“I just couldn’t believe it because I talked to him the night before last,” Levesque said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I just couldn't believe it because I talked to him the night before last," Levesque said.

“I came into work today… It’s still like the first time I’m hearing it. I’m still in shock. I don’t believe it.”

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She said Tice-Kidston made work a happy place, helping out others where he could. She said he even asked some of his co-workers to teach him how to say “I love you” in Filipino.

“There was never a dull moment with Tristan,” Levesque said.

Watch below: Two people were killed in a highway crash near Ardrossan Tuesday, including a high school student. Three other people were injured. Kim Smith has the details.

1:03 Alberta high school student killed in Highway 16 crash

One of the best things about him was his generosity, she said.

“He went out of his way for other people, to make sure they were doing OK. He was always there for them. That was really good to have as a friend, because you know what? I’ve had my troubles too and we were always there for each other.”

Levesque said the Tim Hortons team is like family.

“One of the girls that works here… she’s an older lady and he would go out of his way so he could help her as much as he could so that she didn’t have to do so much. He was a hard worker… He always worked so hard.”

“He was such a charmer,” Levesque said with a smile, “such an awesome person to have around. He was a really sweet guy and it’s really unfortunate that he’s gone.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "He was such a charmer," Levesque said with a smile, "such an awesome person to have around. He was a really sweet guy and it's really unfortunate that he's gone."

When asked what she’ll miss about her friend most, Levesque became quiet.

“Just him. Him… he shone bright. I miss talking to him. I’m going to miss just having that friend who’s always there, who’s never given up on anyone,” she said, her voice breaking. “I’m just going to miss my friend. He was a good friend.

“I do want him to be remembered as vibrant, always had a smile on his face, always going out of his way for others,” she added.

“He was a beautiful person. I want people to remember him as he was, the good memories he created. I want everyone to know that Tristan wasn’t just another guy; he was one of the good people.”