Support pours in for family of man who died in ATV crash
GoFundMe account raising funds in memory of ‘kind-hearted’ 19 year old
Emotional and financial support has been pouring in for the family of a 19-year-old man who was killed in an ATV rollover in Lanigan on Saturday evening.
RCMP said a man was pronounced dead at the scene after officers were called to field north of Lanigan High School at 9:15 p.m. Family members identified him as Drew Rossen.
His older brother, Matthias Rossen, said Drew was one of six siblings. The family and the entire Lanigan community are in shock, he said in an interview on Monday.
“It’s still really fresh and difficult.”
Visitors have been dropping by to offer condolences and help, he said.
“The support of Lanigan has just been amazing ... From food to emotional support, friends of Drew’s have stopped by — upwards of 50 to 60 of them ... just to say their condolences to mom.”
Friends also established a GoFundMe campaign in support of the family. As of Monday afternoon, more than $16,000 of the $20,000 goal had been raised.
Matthias described his younger brother as a “little guy” who loved fantasy series like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. He said Drew was a “kind-hearted” young man who was well-liked in the community, which was evident in the number of people paying their respects.
“I think that’s one of the reasons so many people have been reaching out,” he said. “They just felt that he was such a good person, from his employers to his friends to his teachers, they knew what a wonderful, little genuine person he was. He wasn’t big in stature, but he was really big in his heart.”
Drew was the passenger in the ATV, known as a “side-by-side.” Matthias said it was his understanding that neither Drew nor the driver were wearing seat belts or helmets when the vehicle flipped at a high rate of speed. He said alcohol “was a contributing factor.”
The 18-year-old driver was taken to hospital with what police described as “serious injuries.”
Lanigan Mayor Andrew Cebryk said in a statement that the community “stands together in this time of tragedy . ... Only time will heal the loss we feel.”
A funeral for Drew is scheduled in Lanigan at 2 p.m. on Saturday. .