Natalie White has a wound that will never heal.
Her 19-year-old son was killed in a motorcycle accident two years ago and White says the loss still fills her with a numbing pain that will never go away.
The Langley City mother has been waiting since then to find out the details of what actually happened in the accident.
Whitesa国际传媒檚 son died June 20, 2018 when his motorcycle collided with an SUV on 181A Street at the 61B Avenue intersection.
But in the ensuing court case, a stay of proceedings was entered and the case never went to trial. With no court hearing, White said, the family was denied closure, with no opportunity to hear the driversa国际传媒檚 account of the event, and whether he had any regrets to express.
White had always wanted to hear from the other driver, to find out what happened and to help her find some closure.
What White didnsa国际传媒檛 know was the other driver was desperate to find some closure too.
SEE ALSO:
When White reached out in early June in an effort to contact the other driver, that driver, Johnny Forrest was thankful.
sa国际传媒淲hen I saw that article in the Cloverdale Reporter, it made my day,sa国际传媒� said Forrest, a Cloverdale resident. sa国际传媒淪he showed compassion toward me. I wanted to find some closure as well.sa国际传媒�
White and Forrest finally got that closure when they met just days before the two-year anniversary of Andrewsa国际传媒檚 death.
sa国际传媒淐an I give you a hug?sa国际传媒� White asked, tears streaming down her cheeks.
sa国际传媒淚 wanted to do this two years ago,sa国际传媒� Forrest replied, as the two embraced. sa国际传媒淔or me this is closure too. I wanted to show you some compassion and love. I cansa国际传媒檛 thank you enough.sa国际传媒�
Forrest and White met in the common room of Whitesa国际传媒檚 complex.
sa国际传媒淚 wanted you to know that I donsa国际传媒檛 blame you,sa国际传媒� said White.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e never been the same,sa国际传媒� Forrest said, his thick Scottish accent muffled underneath a facemask. sa国际传媒淓ver since then, I cansa国际传媒檛 go on that road anymore.sa国际传媒�
Forrest expressed his sa国际传媒渄eepest regretssa国际传媒� for what had happened that day and explained to White how he saw the crash unfold.
sa国际传媒淚 was taking my granddaughter home and I was making a left-hand turn,sa国际传媒� remembered Forrest, now 85. sa国际传媒淚 could see your son coming up the road and I says, sa国际传媒楤oy! Hesa国际传媒檚 a-movin.sa国际传媒� You know?sa国际传媒�
Forrest said he was stopped, waiting for Futerko to pass when Forrestsa国际传媒檚 granddaughter cried out, sa国际传媒淧apa John, his handlebars are wobbling.sa国际传媒�
Thatsa国际传媒檚 when Forrest said Futerkosa国际传媒檚 bike changed course and collided head on with Forrestsa国际传媒檚 bumper.
SEE ALSO:
Forrest said he then did something he shouldnsa国际传媒檛 have. He said his granddaughter was screaming and he had to get her out of there.
sa国际传媒淚 reversed my car, went way back, and then around, and parked my car on the side road,sa国际传媒� he explained.
Forrest said the crash affected his heart and he had to get a heart valve replaced.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檒l never get over it,sa国际传媒� Forrest added.
The two talked a lot about the facts of the accident. White wondered about all the little details of the collision and everything that led up to it.
She kept wondering what sa国际传媒� if anything sa国际传媒� could have gone differently that day, or in those final moments, and changed the outcome of her sonsa国际传媒檚 life. What could have prevented him from being on that road at that precise instant? What minor thing could have altered his final moments and given Andrew more time?
sa国际传媒淗e had a lot on his mind that day,sa国际传媒� explained White. sa国际传媒淗is brain was elsewhere. He was supposed to go to grad that night with a girl and he cancelled on her.sa国际传媒�
White said Andrew had spoken with the girl just before the crash and had told her he would call her when he got home.
sa国际传媒淚 feel like he was probably thinking about that and not paying attention to the road.sa国际传媒�
White said the last two years have been very hard for her. She keeps little reminders of Andrew around because shesa国际传媒檚 scared of losing precious memories. She has a locket with a picture of her and her son and she has his name tattooed on her arm. Shesa国际传媒檚 getting another tattoo June 20 of some artwork Andrew made when he was a little boy.
She said she didnsa国际传媒檛 go to the spot where Andrew died until a month after the accident.
White said many have tried to comfort her by telling her it was just an accident. But White said if she views it as an accident, she will just want to assign blame and that will make her angry.
sa国际传媒淚 do believe, 100 per cent, that that was his day,sa国际传媒� said White, choking back tears. sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 what I have to believe in my heart. Or else, the only other thing is to blame you sa国际传媒� or him. Or me for allowing him to ride that bike. I didnsa国际传媒檛 want him to ride that thing and I didnsa国际传媒檛 know how to stop him. I beat myself up every day about that.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淭his is how Isa国际传媒檝e gotten my peace,sa国际传媒� White added, eeking out her words through tears. sa国际传媒淚 wanted to try to share that with you: that was his day.sa国际传媒�
SEE ALSO:
sa国际传媒淭hat datesa国际传媒檚 gonna be in my head the rest of my life,sa国际传媒� said Forrest. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 like you. Isa国际传媒檓 trying to heal too and get over the shock of it. It was a shock!sa国际传媒� he exclaimed.
sa国际传媒淚 will never be the same person,sa国际传媒� Forrest added. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 trying to heal, but I never will because I was part of that tragic situation.sa国际传媒�
As White and Forrest conversed, they discovered that Whitesa国际传媒檚 dad grew up in Scotland sa国际传媒� not far from where Forrest had grown up. (White subsequently passed along Forrestsa国际传媒檚 phone number to her father in Ontario and the two had a long chat about life and Scotland.)
And they talked about Andrew.
sa国际传媒淗e was a funny character. Isa国际传媒檇 love to show you some videos of him, if we can meet again,sa国际传媒� said White. sa国际传媒淲hen he was happy.sa国际传媒�
White shared that Andrew loved playing video games and he was a big practical joker. She said he played rugby and had gone to Scotland on a rugby tour in his senior year of high school at Lord Tweedsmuir.
sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 think he cared too much about rugby,sa国际传媒� laughed White. sa国际传媒淚 think he just wanted to go on the trip. (Laughs again). I seriously think that.sa国际传媒�
White told Forrest that Andrew also played rugby because he loved his rugby coach, Tweedsmuir teacher Jamie Overgaard.
sa国际传媒淚f it wasnsa国际传媒檛 for Jamie sa国际传媒� in high school sa国际传媒� I donsa国际传媒檛 know what would have become of my son,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭hat man loved my boy and he gave him love and guidance. And my son was not an easy boy to deal with. He was a hard kid to handle, but he was a good kid. He was different. Jamie took a shine to him.sa国际传媒�
White said Overgaard had the idea to start a fundraiser in Andrewsa国际传媒檚 name. So they started the Esta Bueno Rugby Fundraiser. The fundraiser helps Grade 12 rugby players at Lord Tweedsmuir by offsetting costs for overseas rugby tours. (The third annual event will be held at Cloverdalesa国际传媒檚 Beaver Lodge sometime in the fall.)
SEE ALSO:
sa国际传媒淎t the first fundraiser, I thanked Jamie for loving my boy and he said thatsa国际传媒檚 why hesa国际传媒檚 a teacher, to be there for boys like mine.sa国际传媒�
White said when Andrew was in Grade 11 he also went on a rugby tour to Smith Falls, Ont.
sa国际传媒淢y parents live there and they got to see him play,sa国际传媒� said White. sa国际传媒淭hey normally wouldnsa国际传媒檛 have been able to see him play.sa国际传媒�
White said Andrew scored the winning try in one of the games and made it into the Smith Falls paper.
White added that it may seem strange, but she thinks theresa国际传媒檚 a reason Andrew died on 181A Street.
sa国际传媒淭hat was Andrewsa国际传媒檚 route sa国际传媒� obviously he took it that day sa国际传媒� but he grew up on that street. He walked on that road. He rode a bicycle on that road. He learned to drive on that road. And he died on that road.
sa国际传媒淭hat road has so many memories. I feel like that road was at the heart of who he was.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒� with a file from Dan Ferguson.
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
Like us on and follow us on
