With one barbecue lighter in hand and several spent ones surrounding him, Seth Conlin works to keep dozens of candles lit.

It’s demanding work, especially under the scorching afternoon sun.

The 16-year-old has been spending his days tending to the candles at a makeshift memorial to motorcyclist Steven Medeiros, who was killed in a weekend crash at Hamilton Road and St. Julien Street.

The nearby memorial draws a steady stream of mourners who gather daily to shed tears and share stories about the beloved London man.

But unlike the others who come to pay their respects, Conlin didn’t know Medeiros.

“I just saw a ton of people in pain and upset at the loss of a loved one. I thought ‘What can I do to help?’ ” he said.

A Grade 11 student at Saunders secondary school, Conlin first showed up the memorial on Monday, later buying dozens of candles for the vigil. Since then, he’s spent most of his waking hours keeping the flames flickering and replacing burned-out candles.

The teen has become a fixture at the scene, where many of Medeiros’s relatives now know him by name.

“There’s people who live for other people,” Medeiros’s uncle, Manny Sousa, said of Conlin.

Tearing up as he spoke, Sousa said his grieving family is touched by the young man’s actions.

Medeiros, 30, well respected in London’s motorcycle community, was known for his YouTube channel showcasing his cruises around the city with his orange and green Ninja Turtle-themed bike and matching helmet.

He died at the scene Sunday evening after colliding with an SUV. The SUV driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Police are still investigating the crash — the 23rd of the year involving a motorcycle in London — and no charges have been laid.

Dozens of motorcycles gather nightly at the crash site.

In addition to candles and crosses, mourners have placed candy, Ninja Turtle toys, even Burger King Whoppers.

Going to the fast-food eatery for Whopper Wednesdays was a favourite pastime for Medeiros, said friends, who ate the burgers at the memorial in a tribute to him this week.

Some friends and family members are getting Medeiros’s beloved black Jeep outfitted with a snakeskin covering to lead the funeral procession Friday.

“He always wanted to get it done. We finished that for him,” said brother-in-law Jeff Mendonca, adding a large photo of Medeiros and his widow, Samantha, will be plastered on the vehicle’s hood.

The family has invited Conlin to the funeral, even offering him a lift to Holy Cross Church.

“They’ve been treating me like I’m one of the family,” he said.

dcarruthers@postmedia.com

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