MONTREAL — Members of Montreal’s close-knit drift racing community have rallied together to help one of their own.
Jimmy Rotondo, 28, was killed Thursday when his transport truck rear-ended another truck on the 13 North in Laval.
His cab was completely pulverized, trapping him inside.
Rotondo was rushed to hospital but died shortly thereafter.
The young driver was about to become a father for the first time, and his friends quickly decided to start a GoFundMe page to help his girlfriend deal with the costs of a new baby.
There has already been a tremendous outpouring of support. The original goal was $5,000 and by mid-Friday afternoon, almost $10,000 had been donated.
“The entire automotive community is very close, we would see each other at car shows and race events,” the page’s creator Danny Geraghty said.
“He was very well-known and had a lot of friends in this industry.”
Rotondo had the reputation of being an easy-going, fun-loving guy who was loved by everyone he met.
“Many journalists and racers poured out their support online…It was obvious Jimmy touched them,” Graghty said. “No one had anything bad to say about him. He’s full of life. It’s an all-around tragedy.”
Rotondo had planned to leave his truck driving job to pursue other opportunities.