Daughter, 10, was ‘whole world’ to man who died in crash
The sister of the man killed in a crash on Sooke Road last Friday said a medical emergency might have caused him to lose control of his vehicle and hit an oncoming car.
Drew Ripley, 48, of Sooke, leaves behind a 10-year-old daughter who family say was his “whole world.”
Ripley was travelling westbound on Sooke Road near Parkland Road when his Dodge Caravan crossed the solid yellow line and hit an oncoming Jeep SUV about 4:20 p.m. on Dec. 29. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Sooke firefighters used hydraulic equipment to free the woman in the SUV, who did not suffer serious injuries.
Gina Ripley, who lives on the Lower Mainland, got a knock on her door at 2 a.m. on Dec. 30. Her heart sank when she saw RCMP officers, and she braced for bad news. She was told her brother was dead.
The B.C. Coroners Service is investigating whether a heart condition caused Ripley to lose control, Gina Ripley said.
“He was an amazing driver,” she said. “This was a guy who drove any vehicle under the sun. For him to have a vehicle accident is mind-boggling.”
Ripley, who ran an irrigation system company, was a single father and did everything for his daughter, his sister said, calling him “a smart man and very devoted dad.”
The two loved the outdoors and would go fishing, hiking, exploring and gold-panning. “He was a man of many interests and talents,” she said.
Ripley was a fireworks technician and supervisor and helped with the Canada Day fireworks display in Port Alberni.
His Facebook feed is filled with pictures of his daughter: Tobogganing in the snow, dressed up for Halloween and working in the garden.
Gina Ripley is grateful for the community support that has enveloped her niece, who turned 10 years old on Thursday. She did not want to release her niece’s name or say where she attends school.
“The whole community and friends have gathered together to support his daughter,” she said. Family friends have been dropping off cards and gift certificates and helping organize a birthday party for her.
“She’s a trooper,” Gina Ripley said. “She’s a remarkable young lady.”
She said her brother was the kind of man who would help anyone, so that generosity is coming back to his daughter.
“He was a good guy, he helped whoever he could.”
The siblings grew up on Salt Spring Island and moved to Victoria during their high school years.
Mark Druwe, a friend of Drew Ripley, said the two liked to go gold-panning together. Druwe talked to Ripley a day or two before the crash and said Ripley mentioned he was suffering from some medical issues. Druwe said Ripley adored his daughter. “It was just the two of them,” he said. “Their whole world was just the two of them.”