The teenager killed in a crash on Hwy 97 in West Kelowna on Thursday morning has been identified.
According to a GoFundMe created to support his family, 16-year-old Yegor Socolov was killed on his daily motorcycle ride to school at Mount Boucherie Senior Secondary (MBSS).
On Thursday, police said the youth’s motorcycle collided with a transport truck carrying a crane at the intersection of Hwy 97 and Grizzly Road, just a few blocks away from MBSS.
“Poor kid didn’t have a chance to battle the semi and was pronounced dead on scene,” explained GoFundMe creator Sergiy Filippov.
Filippov said Socolov was “very passionate” about motorcycles and outdoor life and was “such a nice and kind kid.”
“I remember every time we spent together with his father on the hill, whether it’s snow or dust,” Filippov said. “Great memories will forever be in my heart!”
Along with his loving parents, Socolov leaves behind his 10-year-old brother Leon who Filippov says he was very close to.
He explained that he created the GoFundMe to let the community support the family financially as they navigate this unfathomable tragedy.
“Any financial help to the parents to deal with funeral and memorials will be very appreciated and meaningful over these next horrible days,” he noted.
Since being created on Thursday afternoon, the GoFundMe has raised over $12,000 and the number is growing by the minute.
A statement from Central Okanagan Public Schools superintendent Kevin Kaardal on Thursday said that Socolov’s untimely death has a “wide impact.”
“We will continue to support each other in the coming days and months through compassion and toughness,” Kaardal added.
The post-critical incident response team, which is a team of specially-trained district leaders and counselors meant to support staff and students in the wake of a tragedy like this, was dispatched to MBSS on Thursday.