Supporters are rallying around a family who suffered a devastating tragedy while relocating from Vancouver to St. Catharines, Ont.
Bob Jeffreys and Carla Chambers-Jeffreys have been identified by friends as the victims of a collision near Oyen, Alta., on Wednesday involving their SUV and two semi-trucks.
Tragically, the couple’s 11-year-old son Zachary did not survive the crash, while Chambers-Jeffreys suffered potentially life-threatening injuries and remains in Calgary Foothills hospital, according to a GoFundMe for the family.
Alberta EMS said the boy was declared dead at the scene.
RCMP believe one of the semi-trucks was stopped on the highway for construction with the SUV stopped behind it.
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The second semi is believed to have rear-ended the SUV.
The couple’s eight-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son were also injured, according to the fundraiser.
“Lily was … flown by STARS to Alberta Children’s Hospital with serious, potentially life-threatening injuries. She is now in stable condition,” said the fundraiser.
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Chambers-Jeffreys is a recent comparative literature master’s graduate from Brock University and a trained opera singer, according to the university.
“Our thoughts are with her and her family. We grieve the cruel loss of her child and hope with all our hearts that she, her companion and her two other children will recover,” said Catherine Parayre, Brock’s director of the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture in a statement.
Jeffreys’ LinkedIn account lists him as a freelance graphic designer and fine artist who studied at Niagara College and Concordia University.
One of his last posts to Facebook before the crash reads, “Tomorrow a new journey begins.”
By Friday afternoon, the fundraiser for the family had raised more than $32,000.
— With files from Kirby Bourne