The family of a 21-year-old aspiring nurse who died in a highway collision is mourning her loss, but taking comfort in knowing that she’ll still be helping others.
Charlene Kroeker was critically injured in a collision north of Edmonton Friday afternoon, on her way home to Parkland County. Police say she lost control of her car on the icy road, crossed the median on Highway 16A and collided with a pickup truck. She died in hospital the following day. The driver of the pickup truck was not injured.
“There’s an empty place at the table,” her father, Rod Kroeker, told CTV Edmonton on Sunday. “It hurts. It hurts.”
He added that his daughter, who was studying to become a nurse, will still be able to help people because she was an organ donor.
“Somebody this morning’s breathing really good because both of her lungs are in somebody else’s body this morning,” he said.
Kroeker’s co-workers at the restaurant where she worked as a server say she was a joy to have around.
“She was going to be an amazing nurse just because she had so much love for other people,” said Jorgia Moore, adding that Kroeker could often be seen studying flashcards and notes on her breaks.
“Everyone enjoys her company and loves working with her, and I think that she’s one of our motivations to go to work,” said another server.
Freddie Archie, 30, was among the first to reach Kroeker after the crash. The firefighter-in-training says it was a “tough” situation.
“We felt like we had to do something because there was so much chaos,” he told CTV Edmonton. “She stopped breathing for a little bit and then I got really panicked because there was nobody on the scene yet, and I didn’t want to see her go.”
Although he didn’t know it at the time, Kroeker’s father managed to tell her in person how he felt just before the crash.
“The last thing I said to her was ‘Bye, I love you,’” he said, adding that he gave her a hug as well. “Last thing I texted to her was: ‘When are you coming home?’
“She never answered that.”
With files from CTV Edmonton
