A flood of sympathy and condolences has spread over social media and Chatham-Kent in the aftermath of a Tuesday tragedy that killed a young hockey captain from the southwestern Ontario region.
Those close to Craig Spence have identified him as the victim who perished in the crash. He was captain of the Blenheim Blades, a junior ice hockey team based in the town of the same name.
“He was a terrific child. He constantly wanted to help. He was always there to guide our children in the proper course. “He was a great role model and a great person,” said Bob Price, the Blenheim Blades’ general manager, adding that Spence was 21 years old and lived in Chatham. Price stated that Spence had two siblings: a younger sister and an older brother.
On Tuesday, around 3:00 p.m., OPP was dispatched to a crash on the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 just south of London. When police arrived, they reported that a transport truck and a pickup vehicle had collided, and the driver of the pickup truck had been pronounced dead on the scene. Police halted the eastbound lanes of the highway between Colonel Talbot and Wonderland Roads for six hours to investigate.
While police were on the scene, Price received a phone call informing him that Spence had died. “I was devastated.” Craig was an important member of our staff and an integral part of the Blades family.” Spence has been with the team for almost two years and was equally vital to the community on and off the ice, according to Price.
“He was an excellent leader. Always there for his teammates and the staff. He was quite passionate about the sport. He talked to me about returning and becoming a coach after he was finished. He was skilled at instructing.”
Spence was even scheduled to receive two honors for his athletic achievements at the team banquet on Friday. However, that banquet was canceled due to his death. “We just want everyone to get a bit of time before we get together.”
The Blenheim Blades paid tribute to Spence with social media posts that received thousands of views, hundreds of comments, and shares by Wednesday afternoon.
A GoFundMe campaign created by family friends contributed more than $12,000 for Spence’s family in just a few hours, with the ultimate total reaching $12,500 by 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
