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.

White乌鸦传媒檚 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 driver乌鸦传媒檚 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 didn乌鸦传媒檛 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.

乌鸦传媒淲hen I saw that article in the Cloverdale Reporter, it made my day,乌鸦传媒� said Forrest, a Cloverdale resident. 乌鸦传媒淪he showed compassion toward me. I wanted to find some closure as well.乌鸦传媒�

White and Forrest finally got that closure when they met just days before the two-year anniversary of Andrew乌鸦传媒檚 death.

乌鸦传媒淐an I give you a hug?乌鸦传媒� White asked, tears streaming down her cheeks.

乌鸦传媒淚 wanted to do this two years ago,乌鸦传媒� Forrest replied, as the two embraced. 乌鸦传媒淔or me this is closure too. I wanted to show you some compassion and love. I can乌鸦传媒檛 thank you enough.乌鸦传媒�

Forrest and White met in the common room of White乌鸦传媒檚 complex.

乌鸦传媒淚 wanted you to know that I don乌鸦传媒檛 blame you,乌鸦传媒� said White.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e never been the same,乌鸦传媒� Forrest said, his thick Scottish accent muffled underneath a facemask. 乌鸦传媒淓ver since then, I can乌鸦传媒檛 go on that road anymore.乌鸦传媒�

Forrest expressed his 乌鸦传媒渄eepest regrets乌鸦传媒� for what had happened that day and explained to White how he saw the crash unfold.

乌鸦传媒淚 was taking my granddaughter home and I was making a left-hand turn,乌鸦传媒� remembered Forrest, now 85. 乌鸦传媒淚 could see your son coming up the road and I says, 乌鸦传媒楤oy! He乌鸦传媒檚 a-movin.乌鸦传媒� You know?乌鸦传媒�

Forrest said he was stopped, waiting for Futerko to pass when Forrest乌鸦传媒檚 granddaughter cried out, 乌鸦传媒淧apa John, his handlebars are wobbling.乌鸦传媒�

That乌鸦传媒檚 when Forrest said Futerko乌鸦传媒檚 bike changed course and collided head on with Forrest乌鸦传媒檚 bumper.

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Forrest said he then did something he shouldn乌鸦传媒檛 have. He said his granddaughter was screaming and he had to get her out of there.

乌鸦传媒淚 reversed my car, went way back, and then around, and parked my car on the side road,乌鸦传媒� he explained.

Forrest said the crash affected his heart and he had to get a heart valve replaced.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檒l never get over it,乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒� if anything 乌鸦传媒� could have gone differently that day, or in those final moments, and changed the outcome of her son乌鸦传媒檚 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?

乌鸦传媒淗e had a lot on his mind that day,乌鸦传媒� explained White. 乌鸦传媒淗is brain was elsewhere. He was supposed to go to grad that night with a girl and he cancelled on her.乌鸦传媒�

White said Andrew had spoken with the girl just before the crash and had told her he would call her when he got home.

乌鸦传媒淚 feel like he was probably thinking about that and not paying attention to the road.乌鸦传媒�

White said the last two years have been very hard for her. She keeps little reminders of Andrew around because she乌鸦传媒檚 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. She乌鸦传媒檚 getting another tattoo June 20 of some artwork Andrew made when he was a little boy.

She said she didn乌鸦传媒檛 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.

乌鸦传媒淚 do believe, 100 per cent, that that was his day,乌鸦传媒� said White, choking back tears. 乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 what I have to believe in my heart. Or else, the only other thing is to blame you 乌鸦传媒� or him. Or me for allowing him to ride that bike. I didn乌鸦传媒檛 want him to ride that thing and I didn乌鸦传媒檛 know how to stop him. I beat myself up every day about that.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淭his is how I乌鸦传媒檝e gotten my peace,乌鸦传媒� White added, eeking out her words through tears. 乌鸦传媒淚 wanted to try to share that with you: that was his day.乌鸦传媒�

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乌鸦传媒淭hat date乌鸦传媒檚 gonna be in my head the rest of my life,乌鸦传媒� said Forrest. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 like you. I乌鸦传媒檓 trying to heal too and get over the shock of it. It was a shock!乌鸦传媒� he exclaimed.

乌鸦传媒淚 will never be the same person,乌鸦传媒� Forrest added. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 trying to heal, but I never will because I was part of that tragic situation.乌鸦传媒�

As White and Forrest conversed, they discovered that White乌鸦传媒檚 dad grew up in Scotland 乌鸦传媒� not far from where Forrest had grown up. (White subsequently passed along Forrest乌鸦传媒檚 phone number to her father in Ontario and the two had a long chat about life and Scotland.)

And they talked about Andrew.

乌鸦传媒淗e was a funny character. I乌鸦传媒檇 love to show you some videos of him, if we can meet again,乌鸦传媒� said White. 乌鸦传媒淲hen he was happy.乌鸦传媒�

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.

乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 think he cared too much about rugby,乌鸦传媒� laughed White. 乌鸦传媒淚 think he just wanted to go on the trip. (Laughs again). I seriously think that.乌鸦传媒�

White told Forrest that Andrew also played rugby because he loved his rugby coach, Tweedsmuir teacher Jamie Overgaard.

乌鸦传媒淚f it wasn乌鸦传媒檛 for Jamie 乌鸦传媒� in high school 乌鸦传媒� I don乌鸦传媒檛 know what would have become of my son,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭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.乌鸦传媒�

White said Overgaard had the idea to start a fundraiser in Andrew乌鸦传媒檚 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 Cloverdale乌鸦传媒檚 Beaver Lodge sometime in the fall.)

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乌鸦传媒淎t the first fundraiser, I thanked Jamie for loving my boy and he said that乌鸦传媒檚 why he乌鸦传媒檚 a teacher, to be there for boys like mine.乌鸦传媒�

White said when Andrew was in Grade 11 he also went on a rugby tour to Smith Falls, Ont.

乌鸦传媒淢y parents live there and they got to see him play,乌鸦传媒� said White. 乌鸦传媒淭hey normally wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 have been able to see him play.乌鸦传媒�

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 there乌鸦传媒檚 a reason Andrew died on 181A Street.

乌鸦传媒淭hat was Andrew乌鸦传媒檚 route 乌鸦传媒� obviously he took it that day 乌鸦传媒� 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.

乌鸦传媒淭hat road has so many memories. I feel like that road was at the heart of who he was.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒� with a file from Dan Ferguson.

editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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