Castle Rock – Neighbors say Nick Speights stood out during the neighborhood Fourth of July party because he was the kid having the most fun.
“He was running around covered in mud,” recalled neighbor Jacki Neal. “He just seemed so happy.”
Nick, 7, was killed Tuesday night when he stepped into the street between two parked cars and was hit by a truck.
He was rushed to Sky Ridge Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m.
The lawns and sidewalks of the 4600 block of Wildflowers Way were unusually empty Wednesday, neighbors said. Children stayed close to their parents, and adults gathered in a driveway to mourn and pray.
“It’s still shock,” neighbor Skeeter Brown said. “I want to wake up and say it’s a dream.”
Neighbors had placed cones down the center of the street for the party Tuesday and posted a sign asking neighbors to “Keep kids alive, drive 25,” said Castle Rock police Cpl. Ty Petersen.
The July Fourth party was meant to be for kids, friends said. One family had set up a dunk tank, another rented a cotton-candy machine, and the festivities included a bean-bag toss, a pie-eating contest and a horseshoe toss.
“Everyone was having so much fun, and it seemed so safe,” Neal said.
There was no alcohol involved in the accident, Petersen said, and the driver of the pickup, Robert Girard, 41, was not speeding.
Police say they do not plan to file charges against Girard, although the accident is still under investigation. Girard could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Nick’s father, Bill Speights, said he wants to make sure that Nick’s death does not become about who deserves the blame.
“I’ll be disappointed if it becomes a finger-pointing process,” he said. “It was an accident.”
Friends and family described Nick as a very polite boy who was passionate about his Cub Scout troop and enjoyed playing soccer.
Seven-year-old Zack Castle was Nick’s best friend.
On Wednesday he was in his yard, near the scene of the accident.
“He was like family to me,” Zack said of Nick, “like a brother.”
The family asks that donations be sent to the Denver Area Council of Boy Scouts of America, 2901 W. 19th Ave., Denver, CO 80204. The boy’s name, Nicholas Speights, should be noted on the memo portion of the check.
Staff writer Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer can be reached at 303-820-1316 or awittmeyer@denverpost.com.
