Runaway truck claims ‘big heart’
VANCOUVER — The loved ones of a man killed in a workplace incident Tuesday in Coquitlam say they are devastated by the loss of a young father-to-be known for his boundless kindness and adoration of his wife.
Bobby Vanderhoef, 32, of Maple Ridge, died after an articulated dump truck rolled down a hill from a construction site onto the 2700-block of Lougheed Highway at 3:30 p.m.
Coquitlam RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Jennifer Goodings said in a statement that the operator of the unoccupied truck was killed. Witnesses reported that a worker was hit when he tried to stop the truck before it careened onto Lougheed and struck two vehicles. Six people were taken to hospital.
A woman in her 60s also died but has not yet been identified. Coquitlam RCMP, the B.C. Coroners Service and WorkSafe B.C. are now investigating.
Vanderhoef was taken to Royal Columbian Hospital but died of his injuries, said his cousin and best friend, 32-yearold Andre Roberge.
Roberge didn’t know the details of the crash but said it had left Vanderhoef’s family and friends deeply upset.
Vanderhoef’s wife, Amanda, is expecting their first child, whose gender they had planned to announce at a party on Saturday.
They married last May, after meeting when they were both 14 and dating over the past five years.
After years of travel across the country for construction work, Vanderhoef made it clear he wanted nothing more than to settle down and start a family, Roberge said. “[Vanderhoef] was just so happy that she was going to have his baby,” he said.
Vanderhoef also leaves behind his mother, from Barbados, his father, from Canada, two sisters and a brother. Many dozens of his grieving friends and co-workers have turned to social media to write messages of condolence.
No matter where Vanderhoef went, he would run into someone who liked him, Roberge said.
“Bobby had a big heart,” he said.
“Bobby would defend the weak and he would make you smile whenever you were down. He would be there for you whenever you needed anything.”
His friends and family are now coming together to support Amanda as she prepares to bring their baby into the world in the coming months.
Now, they’re faced with planning a funeral.