AbbotsfordNews

The stillness of the evening was broken only by the passage of cars as hundreds of mourners gathered Tuesday night at the site where 17-year-old Tanveer “Kenny” Aujla lost his life in a high-speed crash earlier in the day.

W. J. Mouat secondary classmates and family friends crowded around the rubble and debris at the corner of Maclure and Crossley roads to lay flowers and candles before a photo of the young man in his grad cap and gown.

Aujla died instantly when he lost control of his Nissan 350 Z while travelling at a high rate of speed on Maclure Road, hit a curb and slammed into a cement wall on the corner of Crossley Drive, police said.

“The driver was ejected and died on scene. The passenger was taken to MSA [Hospital] and remains in serious condition,” Const. Casey Vinet said Tuesday.

The Abbotsford News has learned the passenger was Cameron Regier, 18, also a Mouat grad. He is reported to have been later transported to Royal Columbian Hospital, where he is in stable condition.

At the memorial, young people milled around with roses clutched to their chests, crying quietly or comforting friends.

The vigil, which lasted past midnight, was organized by two of Aujla’s childhood friends, Maninder Kaler and Sat Swaich.

Kaler was not surprised that so many people turned out to say goodbye to Aujla.

I’ve known him since he was 10 years old,” he said.

“He’s a really nice person. He had no problems with anyone.

“I know a lot of people say that after something tragic happens but this is the truth and it’s coming from the heart.”

He described Aujla as responsible and hardworking.

“At first he was a really shy guy, but once you got to know him he just made everyone laugh,” Kaler said.

Kaler said the sports car Aujla was driving was a gift from his parents for all his hard work at school and on the family farm.

At W. J. Mouat secondary, the flag is flying at half mast in memory of the young, hardworking and popular student, said the school’s principal Rob Comeau.

“It’s a tragic situation we’re dealing with at the school,” Comeau said yesterday.

“He was a good student, always polite and studious. He was certainly well liked by his peers and teachers.”

Comeau said the school has counsellors on hand to deal with students struggling with Aujla’s death.

He said the situation is particularly difficult because the students in Ajula’s grad class are writing exams this week.

“They’re having to focus on provincial exams, and those marks count for university,” he said.

“It’s a pretty tough day here.”

Mouat secondary feels for the crash victim’s family, said Comeau said.

“It’s incredibly tragic. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and close friends.”

The force of the crash destroyed a section of the concrete wall and completely collapsed the driver’s side of the car.

Within an hour of Tuesday’s accident, grave-faced students from Mouat began appearing at the accident scene, talking in muted tones on their cell phones.

They gathered in small groups across the street in front of Ellwood Park, looking in horror at the car parts, blocks of concrete, and stop sign strewn alongside a backpack and school binders in the yard of the house where the car landed.

Members of one group said the two young men involved in the accident were graduating and had just finished their last day of school.

“We just saw him a couple of hours ago. We were just talking to him,” said a student who didn’t want to be named.

Area residents Michelle and Henry Pedersen were outside their townhouse complex on Crossley when they heard the crash.

“The impact shook the ground. That’s how powerful it was. It was explosive, a real boom,” said Michelle.

She said her husband and the complex landscaper ran down to the scene to help while she called 911.

She said at first her husband didn’t realize that Aujla had been ejected from the car as they tried to help Regier, who was in the car gasping for air.

But as he leaned into the mangled car, Henry noticed Aujla lying on the ground to the left.

An off-duty paramedic was driving by and stopped to help, she said.

But after determining he couldn’t help Aujla, he concentrated on Regier with help from the landscaper.

Fire and ambulance crews arrived soon after.

It appears Aujla wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, but Regier was strapped in, Vinet said.

Investigators haven’t ruled out alcohol as a factor in the crash, and a toxicology report has been requested, said Vinet.

What made the crash so tragic was that it was preventable, Vinet said.

“We want to urge young people to resist the temptation to drive at high speeds,” he said.

“Wear your seatbelt and slow down, so you can get home to the people who care most about you.”