Machias native killed in Hawaii

HONOLULU, HI - It's an emotional father's day for family members of an Illinois man killed in a big rig crash on Kauai. Relatives of Wesley VanValkenburg say he was a new father, a chief paramedic, and the youngest of five siblings. They say he traveled to the Garden Isle with his family to mourn the loss of his in-laws.

The victim's sister says VanValkenburg's in-laws loved Kauai, so family members took a trip to the Garden Isle in honor of them. But now they're making plans to lay another loved one to rest.

"He was always trying to make somebody laugh, everything that happened that was tragic he would say 'Ok, let's just move on and take care of business," said Rebecca Thornburg, victim's sister by phone.

That's the approach Wesley VanValkenburg's family is trying to use to cope with their tragic loss. They say it's not easy but it's the way Wes would want it. Around 9:45 a.m. Saturday morning, the 30-year old, his wife June, and their one-year old son Grant were driving near the Wailua golf course when the crash happened. Police say a woman lost control of her motorcycle and it collided with an oncoming big rig truck. The truck then struck the family's rental car and both vehicles ended up in a nearby ditch. VanValkenburg and the truck driver, 25-year old Scott Aviguetero, lost their lives. But the motorcyclist and VanValkenburg's family survived.

"She's a wreck, she's trying to be strong for grant," said Thornburg.

VanValkenburg's sister, Rebecca Thornburg, says her brother was the youngest of five siblings. He was born in New York, moved to Tennessee, and eventually ended up in Chicago, Illinois. He was a firefighter and a paramedic. Thornburg says she could tell at a young age that her brother had a passion for helping others.

"From the time he was too young to join the junior volunteer fire department, he was asking his sister to jump in the car and chase him to a fire and he was directing traffic and helping with tragedy," said Thornburg.

Thornburg says her brother never took life for granted. Back in 2004 in Chicago, a last-minute shift change opened his eyes after two fire trucks collided killing one of the paramedics.

"Wes was supposed to be sitting in that passenger seat, where the guy died in the fire truck and he had switched out a shift. All he did after that was go to the family and helped the family that was lost instead of himself," said Thornburg.

His family says he was a small-town boy who made a big impact on everyone he came across and knowing he's now in a better place is helping them heal.

"Huge loss, he's a person who touched more lives than any of the other of us combined," said Thornburg.
 

View KGMB story here .