Belleville, Ont. family mourns tragic loss of 17-year-old daughter in vehicle collision

It was last weekend that the Belleville, Ont., and Prince Edward County communities lost two of their own.

Nineteen-year-old Justin Crowe of Ameliasburg and 17-year-old Sarah Bradbury of Belleville both died in a single vehicle collision.

On Thursday, a celebration of life was held for Sarah at her parents’ home.

For Sarah’s family and friends her sudden loss is impossible to fully describe.

Her mother says the support from the community through the week and at Sarah’s celebration of life Thursday has reminded her that she and the family aren’t alone.

“It’s overwhelming. It’s overwhelming seeing everybody here, the hugs, people I don’t even know, they come over and they hug me, they’re paying their respects,” said Sarah’s mother Alex Bradbury.

For the dozens upon dozens that showed up at the Bradbury home in ones and twos or small groups, the celebration of life is a roller coaster of tears, prayers and joy remembering the young outgoing woman that had an impact on everyone she met.

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It was a character trait that served her well, according to her Boston Pizza co-worker and friend Mike Amodeo.

“Her brother and sister worked there at the time and she started on, even at a young age…hosts start and they’re timid and scared. She fit in right from day one, like she was full of life,” said Amodeo.

Maya Forestell has been Sarah’s closest friend since they first met in the seventh grade.

Forestell says the stories of her time with Sarah are almost endless but it’s the small things like hanging out together in Sarah’s room that come to mind.

“We would sit in her room for hours, on our phones, it didn’t even matter. Like we could sit there for hours — we didn’t even have to talk, it was the time that we had together,” said Forestell.

“I’m hearing the stories of a daughter I didn’t know but proud to hear those stories knowing that she was living her life,” said Sarah’s father, Adam.

That’s something Adam Bradbury said he is holding on to, the love and pride that Sarah took up the life lessons he wanted to pass on to her.

“I think the biggest thing that I taught her was to go and live and enjoy it and watch those sunsets,” he added.

They’re sentiments that will be carried on by Sarah’s friends, parents, her brother Nathaniel and two sisters, Veronica and Emma.