JANESVILLE — His son “loved giving hugs,†Derek Rice recalls.
A little over a year ago, Rice got his last one.
Nolan, 9, was struck and killed by an SUV driven by an unlicensed motorist on Sept. 28, 2022, as he walked home from school along East Memorial Drive, at Prairie Avenue. The crash happened a few blocks from Adams Elementary School where Nolan was in the fourth-grade.
“I just wish I could get one of his hugs again,†Rice reflected in an interview last week with ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½, as sentencing approached for Brenda Violante, the driver of the SUV.
Violante pleaded guilty to a felony charge of knowingly operating without a valid license and causing death. She’s to be sentenced Thursday, Oct. 12, in Rock County Circuit Court. The sentencing hearing is at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Derrick Grubb.
Violante, 40, told police she was headed north on Prairie Avenue at a stop sign, where she made a complete stop before turning right onto Memorial Drive on her way to get groceries. She struck Nolan, whom she claimed to not have seen as he attempted to use the crosswalk. A criminal complaint noted Violante’s drivers license had expired in 2014. She admitted to being aware that “she should not be driving.â€
Violante was freed on a $1,000 signature bond on Nov. 7, 2022, and has remained out of jail since, awaiting sentencing.
The Fitzgerald Law Firm, of Beloit, representing Violante, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from her for this story.
Derek Rice says he has attended every court hearing for Violante this past year. He declined for this article to share any thoughts about Violante.
Rather, he said he hoped to take the opportunity to publicly remember his child.
In the early mornings, Nolan could be found playing video games like Minecraft and Borderlands on his PS4 while his father made blueberry pancakes, french toast, or cereal.
Nolan wasn’t the biggest meat eater, Rice said.
He was, however, a big hugger.
“He loved giving hugs. If he ran up to a taller person, he would hang around their legs and squeeze them,†Rice recalls.
Now, Rice said, he’s learning how to move forward.
“Your life really changes and in the beginning, you don’t even know what to do,†he said. “Someone who has been so dependent on you for everything is just suddenly gone.â€
At Adams Elementary School, Rice is working with the staff to have new playground equipment installed in honor of his son, whom he recalls loved playing outside. Rice is donating $6,000 from a GoFundMe set up for Nolan to cover the cost of the new equipment.
“There’s a lot of hoops to jump through for playground equipment, but they have a great principal who is working with me to help get this going,†Rice said.
It will be marked by a plaque with Nolan’s name.
“He loved the playground, he always wanted to go play,†Rice said.
The school provided counselors for students to talk about Nolan and process their grief after his death, Rice said.
“The school has always been really supportive,†he said. “His class calls him their guardian angel.â€
Nolan’s family and friends have publicly remembered him in other ways.
A vigil in the boy’s memory took place on the steps to the Civil War monument at the Rock County Courthouse on Sept. 28, the one-year anniversary of his death.
“It was a nice turnout, a bunch of people came, even some strangers from Illinois,†Rice said.
Rice continues to tend to Nolan’s roadside memorial at the corner of East Memorial Drive and Prairie Avenue.
“He keeps the corner clean and maintains it,†Rice’s girlfriend, Stephanie Gilbertson, said. “He swaps out flowers depending on the season. It’s another way of keeping his memory alive.â€
Compounding the family’s grief last fall, Rice said, was his grandmother’s death the day after Nolan’s funeral. “It was a rough year,†he said.
Rice said he hopes the tragedy is reminder to local motorists to be more aware of their surroundings. If not, they could end up changing their lives and the lives of other families, he said.
Rice said he leans on his relationship with God as he continues to process his son’s death.
“I was never angry at Him. Someday when I go to heaven, I’ll learn why and be reunited with Nolan,†he said.
