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.
White91裸聊视频檚 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 driver91裸聊视频檚 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 didn91裸聊视频檛 know was the other driver was desperate to find some closure too.
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When White reached out in early June in an effort to contact the other driver, that driver, Johnny Forrest was thankful.
91裸聊视频淲hen I saw that article in the Cloverdale Reporter, it made my day,91裸聊视频� said Forrest, a Cloverdale resident. 91裸聊视频淪he showed compassion toward me. I wanted to find some closure as well.91裸聊视频�
White and Forrest finally got that closure when they met just days before the two-year anniversary of Andrew91裸聊视频檚 death.
91裸聊视频淐an I give you a hug?91裸聊视频� White asked, tears streaming down her cheeks.
91裸聊视频淚 wanted to do this two years ago,91裸聊视频� Forrest replied, as the two embraced. 91裸聊视频淔or me this is closure too. I wanted to show you some compassion and love. I can91裸聊视频檛 thank you enough.91裸聊视频�
Forrest and White met in the common room of White91裸聊视频檚 complex.
91裸聊视频淚 wanted you to know that I don91裸聊视频檛 blame you,91裸聊视频� said White.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e never been the same,91裸聊视频� Forrest said, his thick Scottish accent muffled underneath a facemask. 91裸聊视频淓ver since then, I can91裸聊视频檛 go on that road anymore.91裸聊视频�
Forrest expressed his 91裸聊视频渄eepest regrets91裸聊视频� for what had happened that day and explained to White how he saw the crash unfold.
91裸聊视频淚 was taking my granddaughter home and I was making a left-hand turn,91裸聊视频� remembered Forrest, now 85. 91裸聊视频淚 could see your son coming up the road and I says, 91裸聊视频楤oy! He91裸聊视频檚 a-movin.91裸聊视频� You know?91裸聊视频�
Forrest said he was stopped, waiting for Futerko to pass when Forrest91裸聊视频檚 granddaughter cried out, 91裸聊视频淧apa John, his handlebars are wobbling.91裸聊视频�
That91裸聊视频檚 when Forrest said Futerko91裸聊视频檚 bike changed course and collided head on with Forrest91裸聊视频檚 bumper.
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Forrest said he then did something he shouldn91裸聊视频檛 have. He said his granddaughter was screaming and he had to get her out of there.
91裸聊视频淚 reversed my car, went way back, and then around, and parked my car on the side road,91裸聊视频� he explained.
Forrest said the crash affected his heart and he had to get a heart valve replaced.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檒l never get over it,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频� if anything 91裸聊视频� could have gone differently that day, or in those final moments, and changed the outcome of her son91裸聊视频檚 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?
91裸聊视频淗e had a lot on his mind that day,91裸聊视频� explained White. 91裸聊视频淗is brain was elsewhere. He was supposed to go to grad that night with a girl and he cancelled on her.91裸聊视频�
White said Andrew had spoken with the girl just before the crash and had told her he would call her when he got home.
91裸聊视频淚 feel like he was probably thinking about that and not paying attention to the road.91裸聊视频�
White said the last two years have been very hard for her. She keeps little reminders of Andrew around because she91裸聊视频檚 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. She91裸聊视频檚 getting another tattoo June 20 of some artwork Andrew made when he was a little boy.
She said she didn91裸聊视频檛 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.
91裸聊视频淚 do believe, 100 per cent, that that was his day,91裸聊视频� said White, choking back tears. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 what I have to believe in my heart. Or else, the only other thing is to blame you 91裸聊视频� or him. Or me for allowing him to ride that bike. I didn91裸聊视频檛 want him to ride that thing and I didn91裸聊视频檛 know how to stop him. I beat myself up every day about that.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭his is how I91裸聊视频檝e gotten my peace,91裸聊视频� White added, eeking out her words through tears. 91裸聊视频淚 wanted to try to share that with you: that was his day.91裸聊视频�
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91裸聊视频淭hat date91裸聊视频檚 gonna be in my head the rest of my life,91裸聊视频� said Forrest. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 like you. I91裸聊视频檓 trying to heal too and get over the shock of it. It was a shock!91裸聊视频� he exclaimed.
91裸聊视频淚 will never be the same person,91裸聊视频� Forrest added. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 trying to heal, but I never will because I was part of that tragic situation.91裸聊视频�
As White and Forrest conversed, they discovered that White91裸聊视频檚 dad grew up in Scotland 91裸聊视频� not far from where Forrest had grown up. (White subsequently passed along Forrest91裸聊视频檚 phone number to her father in Ontario and the two had a long chat about life and Scotland.)
And they talked about Andrew.
91裸聊视频淗e was a funny character. I91裸聊视频檇 love to show you some videos of him, if we can meet again,91裸聊视频� said White. 91裸聊视频淲hen he was happy.91裸聊视频�
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.
91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 think he cared too much about rugby,91裸聊视频� laughed White. 91裸聊视频淚 think he just wanted to go on the trip. (Laughs again). I seriously think that.91裸聊视频�
White told Forrest that Andrew also played rugby because he loved his rugby coach, Tweedsmuir teacher Jamie Overgaard.
91裸聊视频淚f it wasn91裸聊视频檛 for Jamie 91裸聊视频� in high school 91裸聊视频� I don91裸聊视频檛 know what would have become of my son,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淭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.91裸聊视频�
White said Overgaard had the idea to start a fundraiser in Andrew91裸聊视频檚 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 Cloverdale91裸聊视频檚 Beaver Lodge sometime in the fall.)
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91裸聊视频淎t the first fundraiser, I thanked Jamie for loving my boy and he said that91裸聊视频檚 why he91裸聊视频檚 a teacher, to be there for boys like mine.91裸聊视频�
White said when Andrew was in Grade 11 he also went on a rugby tour to Smith Falls, Ont.
91裸聊视频淢y parents live there and they got to see him play,91裸聊视频� said White. 91裸聊视频淭hey normally wouldn91裸聊视频檛 have been able to see him play.91裸聊视频�
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 there91裸聊视频檚 a reason Andrew died on 181A Street.
91裸聊视频淭hat was Andrew91裸聊视频檚 route 91裸聊视频� obviously he took it that day 91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淭hat road has so many memories. I feel like that road was at the heart of who he was.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频� with a file from Dan Ferguson.
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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