A wooden cross surrounded by flowers on the roadside marks the spot where two young men died last week in a crash on the Nanaimo Parkway at Jingle Pot Road.
Nathan Bennie and Garrett McAuliffe were in a car hit by a semi-trailer at the intersection about 4 a.m. Feb. 20.
Nanaimo RCMP said the car was turning left toward Jingle Pot when it was struck by the southbound semi-trailer.
Online fundraising pages have been set up for both Bennie and McAuliffe.
McAuliffe’s page said he was a passenger in the crash that cut his life tragically short.
“As his loved ones navigate this unimaginable loss, I am starting this GoFundMe to provide some relief and support for the Cloke/McAuliffe family during this difficult time,” organizer Danielle Kelly said on the page.
She said those who got to know McAuliffe “know how thoughtful and deeply protective he was of those he loved.”
“Garrett always put others before himself,” Kelly said. “More than anything, he would want his family to be cared for as they grieve.”
Donations are being sought to help ease the family’s burden after their loss, she said.
The GoFundMe page for Bennie said he will be “forever loved and missed.”
“To say he had a good heart would be an understatement,” the page said. “Rest easy Nathan E. Bennie.”
Funds collected will go to his family to cover any expenses that arise.
McAuliffe’s page is at , while Bennie’s is at .
