BREA

One year after a speeding car struck and killed 8-year-old Brent Adams at the intersection of Birch Street and Poplar Avenue, Laurel Elementary School officials dedicated a rosebush and a plaque to the memory of the popular boy.

Dozens of Brent’s former classmates sat in front of the peach rosebush and a propped up a picture of the smiling second-grader as his family, principal and teacher talked about the hard lessons his death left behind.

“Last year at Laurel school was very sad,” Principal Bill Crean told the students. “There was lots of crying. What we want to do now is take this day to talk about safety. Every one of you now has a memory of something sad, something bad that can happen to you. I want you to use that memory.”