BARRE, Vt. (WCAX) – A community pays homage to a little girl killed by a drunk driver last year.
31 motorcycles sputtered to life outside Wilkins Harley in Barre. They’re riding for Olivia Miles, a 6-year-old killed by a drunk driver in May of 2023. “She was incredible. She was my best friend through and through,” Oliva’s mom, Alisha Miles, said. “She was funny, smart, caring. She was just the best person.”
Olivia’s dad, Chad, dreamed of one day riding motorcycles with his daughter. In the wake of Olivia’s death, Chad bought a motorcycle from Wilkins Harley. They planted a tree on site in her honor. “To lose a child is the worst thing you could possibly imagine,” Chad Miles said. “Just the thought of any other parent having to go through it is unimaginable.”
Chad and Alisha brought Olivia along for the ride, her stuffed animal tucked into their motorcycle. Beginning at the dealership, they passed Georgia Plain Baptist Church where Olivia is buried and the spot on Route 105 in Sheldon where the accident happened. It was the first time Alisha had driven past the site. “That’s the one thing that I’ve kind of been dreading throughout this is driving through that, but I wanna do it for her. I know I can’t avoid it forever,” Alisha Miles said.