CENTRE WELLINGTON – A local family is devastated after learning their son, Nicholas Law, 18, died in a car crash near Elora on New Year’s Eve.
According to Wellington OPP, the two-vehicle collision occurred just after 7am on Dec. 31 on Wellington Road 21 near 4th Line East, north of Inverhaugh.
Police say a passenger vehicle and minivan collided head on.
Both drivers were transported to a local hospital, where Law was pronounced deceased, and the other driver was airlifted to a hospital in Hamilton with non-life-threatening injuries.
“Nic was a wonderful, son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend to all,” reads the statement on a GoFundMe campaign started by family friend Andrea Acton-Fletcher.
“Nic will always be loved dearly by his parents Jenn and Bill, siblings Elizabeth (Ryan), Matthew (Autumn), and girlfriend Ava MacNeil.”
The description goes on to name Law’s grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, who were a large part of his life, along with a large group of friends.
Acton-Fletcher told the Advertiser she has great empathy for what the Law family is going through.
She felt the urge to help the family and protect them as they navigate this very difficult time.
She started the GoFundMe account, along with the Meyers, the Fletchers and the Rileys who are also friends of the Law family, shortly after learning of Law’s death to help raise money to cover funeral and other expenses for the family.
The family declined to speak with the Advertiser directly, but a description of Law on the GoFundMe page paints the picture of a friendly, outgoing, caring and charismatic young man with an “old soul,” whose life was taken too soon.
“There were not enough hours in the day for Nic!” his father Bill stated on the GoFundMe page.
“He lived his life to the fullest and wanted to help everyone. If his friends called, he was on his way.”
“His laughter filled our home; it will seem awfully quiet now,” his mother Jenn is quoted as saying.
Many friends also shared stories about Law at the hockey arena, at work and at school.
He loved to play hockey and was good at it, they said.
He loved to go to truck pulls and was more than pleased to offer help – and his truck – to friends who needed a hand.
“He lived his life to the fullest and will be missed by all his friends,” stated friend Denver Myers in the GoFundMe post.
Law had just set a goal to become a heavy machine operator.
His current employer, Ray Patenaude, marvelled at Law’s intelligence and work ethic.
Law had “this amazing ability to take in all the information given to him, process it and use it where needed,” Patenaude stated on GoFundMe.
“It’s like he had this amazing matrix inside his brain. He was smart, talented, and a hard worker.”
Acton-Fletcher said she was amazed that in about 24 hours, nearly $25,000 had already been raised for the family.
Anyone interested in donating or reading comments left about Law, can visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/nick-law.
