A group of friends gathered to remember Aaron Beamish Friday evening at the downtown corner where the 25-year-old skateboarder died after being struck by a garbage truck.
Beamish's friends remembered him as a fun-loving man who enjoyed playing the drums and riding on his long skateboard.
Carrying his skateboard was his signature, one friend said, adding that his easygoing attitude made him a pleasure to be around.
"I hope his family knows that he was loved," a friend told CTV Toronto, breaking into tears. "It's just hard because of the kind of guy he was. That's why this is so hard."
Toronto police said the 25-year-old man was hit by the truck shortly before 6:30 a.m. while skateboarding near the King Street and Spadina Avenue intersection.
The garbage truck was making a right turn onto King Street from Spadina Avenue when it struck the man, said Sgt. Tim Burrows.
The man was pronounced dead on scene, according to Emergency Medical Services.
Burrows said police have not determined the cause of the collision or whether charges will be laid.
Witnesses said the accident happened in a flash. Guiomar Cabral said she heard the truck moments before the early-morning collision.
"I turned my head and I saw garbage truck and I saw a body on the ground," said Cabral.
"At 6:15 in the morning it is pretty dark. If he was wearing all black, it was hard to even see him."
With darkness now hanging over the morning rush hour, police describe the next few months as the peak season of pedestrian-related traffic collisions.
Nearly 1,000 people have been hit by cars so far this year and 14 people have died after being hit by traffic.
"For pedestrians a lot of it comes down to how visible you are and how easy it is for drivers to see you," said Sgt. Warren Stein.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the collision to step forward.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Toronto police Traffic Services at 416-808-1900.
With files from CTV Toronto's Colin D'Mello and Scott Lightfoot
