SuperValu in Kitimat is putting together a last-minute fundraising barbecue for Friday, after one of their own was severely hurt in the Dec. 6 car accident just outside Kitimat.
Store manager Jonathan Stelmacker said that the man (the name hasn't been released by authorities so we have opted not to announce it here) is a well-liked member of the store.
"Everybody likes him here," he said. "Fun, easy going guy. Always loves to laugh."
The fundraiser at SuperValu will go from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Stelmacker said he was actually stopped on the highway watching the aftermath of the accident, not knowing at first it was his friend and co-worker.
"Once I found out about that my heart just sank," he said, saying he saw the vehicle fully engulfed in flames. He also saw the victim loaded into an ambulance.
He said they don't know how long he'll be in the hospital in Vancouver, noting he's had a few surgeries and is in Vancouver General Hospital's burn ward at the moment.