Terrace man hit, left to die in ditch remembered as kind, caring and courageous

Kind and caring, passionate about everything including paddling and the outdoors, and always smiling – that is how Garrett Kerr wants his brother Cameron to be remembered.

“He was so full of life,” Garrett told Global News.

“To lose him this way, he would never have done this.”

Thirty-year-old Cameron Kerr was walking home along the shoulder of Highway 16 in the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 18, when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver four kilometres west of Terrace.

Garrett, who had last seen Cameron the night before, went looking for his brother, a sheet metal worker, later that morning. When he saw the highway blocked off, he stumbled across the crime scene.

“As I was driving by I saw his hat and his boot laying in the highway and I, I knew what had happened,” recalled Garrett.

Cameron’s hat is now part of a memorial that marks the ditch where his body was found — and where someone left him to die.

“Cameron would have been kind enough to come back,” said Garrett.

“He would have been compassionate enough to worry about that person’s loved ones and he would have been courageous enough to do the right thing.”

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On Tues. Nov. 20, RCMP seized two pickup trucks, two boats and three boat trailers on Haida Gwaii. One of the trucks, a Ford F350, is believed to be the suspect vehicle and had damage consistent with the collision that claimed Cameron’s life. RCMP questioned seven people in connection with the investigation and identified a driver from the Lower Mainland as the hit and run suspect.

“You’ve taken a beautiful person inside and out, from this world,” said Garrett.

“He was the best teammate a guy could ask for.”

Cameron played hockey with the Terrace River Kings and on Saturday, Nov. 24, the team, which described Cameron as their “heart and soul for many years’, paid tribute to him at their game against the Kitimat Ice Demons.

Photos of Cameron Kerr – submitted.

As Cameron’s family struggles to deal with his sudden and senseless loss, close friends are supporting his loved ones by sharing memories.

“Everybody had a special bond with Cam, so he was really good at making people feel special,” recalled Lindsay Carey, who, along with her two siblings, grew up with Cameron.

“Since we’re from the Lower Mainland, from the city, he always makes fun of me that I can’t catch a fish,” said Ryan Carey. “And of course, every time he’s around, I can’t catch a damn fish.”

“The last time we saw him he got to meet my baby daughter Dawson,” said Megan Carey through tears.

“And it’s really sad that he’s not going to be able to see her grow up.”

“I was heartbroken,” said friend Francis Genereaux on learning of Cameron’s death. “Anytime I saw him there was always a smile on his face.”

“Cam really was living life to the fullest,” said friend Josh Murray.

“I think we all knew that he loved us and that’s a nice memory,” added friend Chloe Curtis.

As Garrett Kerr awaits justice for his brother, he says he’ll always remember a hunting trip he took with Cameron this past fall.

“He just loved being on the river so much and it ended up being the greatest trip we had.”