Remembering New Carlisle brothers who died after being locked in hot car trunk

June 20, 2011|By Clifton French (cfrench@wsbt.com), Click here to follow Clifton on Twitter | By Clifton French (cfrench@wsbt.com), Click here to follow Clifton on Twitter

NEW CARLISLE — A community can't forget two little boys who died after being locked in a hot trunk.

Dominick Wilk was in his first year of T-Ball. But in his short couple of months playing in the New Prairie Litte League, his coach says the 4-year-old made an impression he'll never forget.

"Never stopped smiling Dominick, never did," Gary MacMillan, Dominick's T-Ball coach said, "Still, can't get it out of my head, when he first arrived, during practice, during games, afterward, the smile never left."

For MacMillan, the baseball diamond where he coaches will never be the same. He's been coaching little league for nearly 10 years. Helping young kids like Dominick learn to play the game he loves. But he's usually able to watch those kids grow up on the mound.

"(He) Was a good kid, was fun to play with, fun to teach him things, it's a shame I'm not going to get to teach him any more," MacMillan said.

For a 4-year-old, MacMillan said Dominick was more mature than many kids his age. MacMillan says Dominick would even say he was sorry when he didn't pay attention.

"That was the last thing he said to me, that he was sorry he didn't listen the game before," he said, "He just wanted to apologize for not listening the game before and when he tugged on my shirt and said 'Coach Gary,' I'm sorry I didn't listen,' you knew he meant it."

Even though Dominick's 2-year-old brother, Isaac Dunner, was too young to play, "Coach Gary" made sure he didn't feel left out.

"The day before opening day I handed out jerseys and Isaac was there with him and he was always trying to get on the field," MacMillan remembered, "I had an extra jersey and hat, so I gave it to Isaac to be an honorary bat-boy, even though legally, he couldn't be on the field, but it made him happy, kept him off the field and safe that way."

For MacMillan, Friday's tragedy left a void on the field and in his heart.

"It's going to be sad, not to see him and his little brother not sitting in the stands," he said.

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