Ian Lajoie in his Thornton Academy graduation robes. Lajoie graduated last week, just before he died in a motorcycle crash in Dayton. Photo courtesy of Christy Lajoie

Ian Lajoie felt euphoric when he set off on his beloved motorcycle down Route 5 in Dayton last Monday.

Earlier that day, his older sister Alyssa and her boyfriend had closed on a new house. His family had spent the night celebrating over dinner at Gonneville Farm Ice Cream and Home Style Cookin. Ian, 18, had graduated from Thornton Academy exactly one week earlier.

He died that night when his motorcycle crashed into a car near the intersection of Route 5 and River Road.

“My highest high, turned into my lowest low,” said his sister Alyssa Lajoie, 21.

The siblings’ relationship was like most brothers and sisters. As a child, Ian would push his sister’s buttons, but he was always supportive, she said.

“Ian was always such a bright light,” his mother, Christy Lajoie, said Wednesday. “He was always smiling.”  

Ian also studied computer technology at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology. He was a videogamer, a techie and an outdoorsman. He was planning on attending the University of Southern Maine this fall to study technology management, according to his parents.

Ian Lajoie reached the rank of Eagle Scout. Photo courtesy of Christy Lajoie

He was the third Thornton Academy student to die this school year: Addie Cross, 14, died in December likely from acetaminophen poisoning; and Daniel Abbott, 17, was killed in a car crash in February that injured two other students.

“Thornton Academy was deeply saddened by the news of Ian’s death. He was a good student with a big smile,” Headmaster Rene Menard said in a statement Thursday.

“Ian’s loss hits the Thornton community especially hard, as his mother, Christy, has taught Math and Science here for nearly 30 years,” he said. “Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathies go out to Christy and her family at this unimaginable time.”

Losing three students during the school year was difficult for the community, Menard said.

“We honor their memory and we hope that the family, friends, and classmates of Ian, Addie, and Daniel will find peace and comfort in the warm memories and the good times they shared,” he said.

‘HE WAS DETERMINED’

Motorcycles had always been his passion, his parents said, despite their worried objections.

Ian got his motorcycle license during his junior year. His first bike was practically brand new – a 700 cc motorcycle that he put 3,500 miles on in six months.

“As long as the pavement was good, he was out there riding. Even if it was 30 degrees,” his mother said.

Ian wasn’t daredevil or reckless, said his father, James Lajoie. He always wore a helmet and protective gear.

Standing at 6 feet, 3 inches tall, and wearing a size 17 shoe, Ian knew after a few months that he needed a bigger bike.

“He was determined,” James Lajoie said. “The great thing about raising a strong and independent person is they’re strong and independent.”

Ian sold his motorcycle and drove to Massachusetts with his friends to purchase a larger, 1000 cc bike, his parents said.

Ian’s father believes the crash was truly an accident, and that the police and community members have done everything they can to support their family through this difficult time.

“People just need to be aware of the dangers of motorcycles,” James Lajoie said.

The family says the intersection where Ian died is unsafe. They hope something can be done to fix it.

If the town “could alter that intersection to a blinking light,” it would be safer James Lajoie said.

The intersection was designated a “high crash location” by the Maine Department of Transportation from 2016 to 2018 because it had a higher number of crashes than the statewide average for similar locations.

But recent MDOT data shows there have been 20 crashes at that intersection in the last 10 years, department spokesperson Paul Merrill said in an email Thursday.

He said the data doesn’t support MDOT making any changes to the intersection.

ENJOYING LIFE

Ian was humble, a quick learner, very intuitive, and wise beyond his years, his family said.

“Even in the last few weeks, he would tell us ‘life is too short,’ ” Christy Lajoie said. ” ‘You don’t know when it ends, you just have to enjoy it, Mom.’ “ 

Ian’s girlfriend of three and a half years, Mackenzie Green, 18, said he was charming and deeply loyal.

“He understood me in a way not a lot of people would,” she said.

The couple was preparing to move in together. Green said she plans to honor Ian’s legacy.

They had hoped to have kids in the future, but she doesn’t know if she still wants them without him. The couple had liked the name Sky, a nod to Ian’s gamer tag, so she plans to get a husky and name it Sky in honor of him.

“The way he loved me was like you read about in books,” Green said. “He cherished the ground I walked on.”

‘ON CLOUD NINE’

As a freshman, Ian was diagnosed with a rare chronic illness, cycling vomiting syndrome.

The illness caused him to experience migraine symptoms, like light sensitivity, along with fatigue, intense abdominal pain, and vomiting, his family said. Despite missing a lot of school because of it, Ian maintained honor roll status.

But it took time to find the right medication. They found a good dosage during the pandemic, and as the outside world started to reopen, so did Ian’s, his mother said.

At this point in his life, Ian was just coming into his own and was “on cloud nine,” his father said.

Ian was also an Eagle Scout, a black belt in taekwondo and last year he won third place in Tyler Technologies’ Maine App Challenge.

His Scout leader, Drew Pisani, said Ian was always very eager to advance.

“He really enjoyed doing scout activities,” Pisani said.

For his Eagle Scout project, Ian researched, planned, planted, and maintained a flower garden at the Lyman Community Library, Pisani said.

He said Ian was goofy and silly, in a good way, and always in the moment.

“As soon as he met somebody if he felt they had good energy, that person believed that Ian was their best friend,” Christy Lajoie said. 

The family is celebrating Ian’s life Friday at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust from 1-8 p.m., symbolizing his perpetual age.