Family Grateful for Wawa’s Help and Hospitality after Serious Collision – UPDATE

From Hillary: “We made it to Saskatchewan safely and are very happy to be home!

I’m so moved by all the kindness and support we’ve received in this difficult time. I don’t quite know how to express exactly how grateful we are for everything and everyone who has helped us get through, or how I’ll ever repay that kindness. You are all such amazing people.

We’ve set up some counselling for ourselves and are on the road to a speedy recovery. Despite the incident, our senses of humour remain firmly intact and we continue to remember fondly the fun and joy we shared during our visit. That, along with all your support, is something we will never forget.

Thank you all so much for providing us with care, compassion, and a sense of stability while everything seemed so uncertain. We owe the people of Wawa so much and will continue to pay it forward.

Thank you all <3″

Jun 26, 2020 at 11:00

 

Hillary, Tyler, son and puppy were returning to Saskatchewan from Peterborough when their trip came to a very abrupt stop. They hit a very large bull moose at 4:30 a.m. about ten minutes north of Wawa. Two men stopped – one helped administer first aid and offered Hillary’s son a coat to stay warm, while the second called 911 and called for ambulance.

Their Mazda Protoge was totaled, the steering wheel as you can see in the photo is completely bent over, windshield smashed, and roof ‘lowered’. The moose rolled over the hood, windshield and roof. Hillary had to pull the glass off of her boyfriend Tyler and drag him out of the car. Tyler incurred the most injuries, a severe concussion, broken nose and a possible broken rib; Hillary ended up with a sore nose and 20 stitches in her arm. Hillary’s five year old son and 5 month old puppy were uninjured. The family was transported to the Lady Dunn where they were looked after and released. The moose did die in the collision.

Unfortunately, Tyler wasn’t wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision. When queried as to why not, Tyler said, “We were on the highway. I was planning on going to sleep and I wanted to get comfortable. I don’t think I quite fell asleep though.”

Wawa and Area Victim Services arranged for them to stay at the Bristol Motel, gift cards for necessities, and even arranged boarding their puppy with one of the volunteers. Hillary remarked that the owner at Subway offered to provide them with food during this difficult time. The couple was also surprised when they found themselves a little short for groceries and they received help. Hillary said “Everyone has been incredible. I just wanted to put out our appreciation to all of them. It’s kinda awesome. ” Her boyfriend said, “Everyone we meet in this town is the nicest person I have ever met. The staff at the hotel are the best. Everyone has been super nice and helpful.”

They are now waiting for Earl, Hillary’s brother to arrive in Wawa and take them on to Saskatchewan. They expect that to happen later tonight.

They would like to extend their thanks and gratitude to those who helped, the two unknown men, OPP, paramedics, WAVS, the staff at the Bristol, Subway. The help that they have offered has made this collision bearable.

If you were one of the men who helped that morning, please email [email protected] and the family would like to thank you personally for your help.