Layna Brown was heading to the Okanagan with her twin boys on Tuesday to celebrate her birthday when she and one of her sons were tragically killed on Highway 1 in Chilliwack.
Brown's father, Kevin, tells Glacier Media the family was expecting them in Kelowna at 5:30 p.m. for dinner.
"Her husband called and said that he was concerned because he couldn't get a hold of them, and heard there was an accident near Chilliwack," Kevin says. "We gave it a little more time and continued to not be able to get a hold of her, at which point started to think she was involved [in the crash]."
Brown and son Dominic, 8, died in the six-vehicle collision. Twin Tristan was taken to BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver with serious injuries.
"He's got multiple internal and external injuries, with regard to several fractures. He's got bleeding around his spinal cord, in his lungs, broken jaw, broken arm, displaced pelvis, skull fracture, teeth, vertebrae. But he's a fighter," says Kevin, a retired paramedic.
The grandfather says his daughter, who lived in Maple Ridge but grew up in Nanaimo, was "just an extraordinary, giving, caring person." The boys, meanwhile, are "great all-star hockey players," he added.
The family has started a GoFundMe to help raise funds for funeral costs and to support Tristan's recovery.
"This tragedy was obviously unexpected, and I’m hoping anyone who sees this has it in their heart to donate to Layna’s family to help with funeral costs and aid in Tristan’s recovery," the fundraiser write-up reads, organized by Brown's cousin, Dirrae Young.
Young tells Glacier Media Brown was a talented artist and had her own website for her resin artwork.
Police were called to crash at 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, near Yale Road West.
Ten people were involved in the collision. The family were the only people who suffered serious injuries.
Investigators believe one or more vehicles stopped abruptly due to an obstruction — believed to be a ladder — in the roadway
“At least one vehicle failed to stop in time and caused a chain reaction of collisions. Impairment is not believed to be a factor,” says Cpl. Melissa Jongema with BC Highway Patrol.
Brown and family members will travel to Vancouver from Maple Ridge and Kelowna to be by Tristan's side.
