July 12, 2016 my family received the worst news of our lives. My brother, Jacob, 16 years old was killed in an accident. He was driving his motorcycle heading through an intersection. A driver was turning left (on a yellow light) and "didn't see him". The driver hit his motorcycle head on. Both my brother and his passenger were thrown from the motorcycle. My brother did not survive, he succumbed to his injuries on the road. He didn't have a chance against the SUV that hit him. His passenger survived with injuries. My brother was an amazing driver, he trained for months in the driveway and parking lots before obtaining his M1 and M2. He had driven this route many times. It was a clear day, 10:30 in the morning. He was 2 months from his 17th birthday and his final year of high school.
All of this happened because the driver of the other vehicle didn't take a second look at the intersection to ensure it was safe and clear for him to make his left turn. This accident could have been prevented, my brother's life could have been saved. My hope is that these magnets will serve as a reminder for drivers of motor vehicles to use caution and look twice for these vulnerable persons on the road. It is far too often that we hear of vehicles striking them and injuring them or ending their life.
Anyone who endured the loss of a loved one on the road understands the difficulty. Losing someone so suddenly as a result of another persons actions. It's impossible to understand, it could have been so easily prevented. This is how I am trying to cope, to move forward, to try to bring some good out of this. I promised myself that I would do something and this is what I've come up with. The artwork in these magnets is hand drawn and converted to computer images. I felt the caution sign was the most appropriate and will catch everyone's eye.
Half of the money from the sales of these magnets will be put into an education fund for my sister Ashley. She graduates high school in June 2018. Her and Jacob were 1 year less a day apart. He was born September 10, 1999 and she was born September 9, 2000. I know this would make him proud.
My heart goes out to all the families who have lost a loved one on the road. ♥
https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/6765976-friends-family-mourn-teen-killed-in-innisfil-crash/