‘They’ve lost everything’: Merritt family loses girl to crash days after leaving flooded city
Posted November 20, 2021 6:59 pm.
Last Updated November 20, 2021 7:04 pm.
There’s an outpouring of support for the family of a little girl who died in a car crash just days after she and her loved ones were forced to leave Merritt because of flooding in that city.
Six-year-old Ember Young died in the head-on crash near Logan Lake on Thursday after the car she was in lost control in snowy conditions and ended up in oncoming traffic. Her five-year-old sister and mother were injured in the crash, which happened as the family was trying to relocate to a friend’s house after spending days in a hotel in Kamloops.
Jordan Goetz Young says her daughter always had a smile on her face and would have done anything for anyone.
“She was a bubbly, sunshine, little girl. She was beautiful, very shy at first then once she came out of her shell she was the sweetest little thing to you,” Goetz Young told CityNews. “She had the kindest heart out of anyone I’d ever met in my life.”
Ember Young, who was killed in a crash while her family was leaving floods in Merritt, is being remembered as a smiley, bubbly little girl. (Submitted: Lisa Yasuda)
Ember’s passing came as the family was already mourning the death of the little girl’s dad, who died in August.
Two GoFundMe pages have been set up for the family to help alleviate financial pressures.
“They’ve lost everything at this point. They have no home, she’s lost her husband and her daughter,” Lisa Yasuda, Ember’s great-aunt, said of Goetz Young and her family. “I know that money doesn’t heal the wounds but it will certainly take a lot of the stress off of their future. We’re so grateful for that.”
The two fundraisers had collected close to $40,000 as of Saturday afternoon.
Ember Young is remembered by her loved ones as a little girl who was always smiling. The six-year-old Merritt girl was killed in a crash while her family was relocated after flooding in the Interior. (Submitted: Lisa Yasuda)
Family thanks public for support
On Friday night, family and friends lit candles for the little girl at the request of Ember’s mother.
“I couldn’t believe how many people were coming to bat for me and trying to remember my little girl,” Goetz Young said. “I had made a post that her favourite things were candles so I wanted everyone to light a candle for her and so many people partook in that, which just made me feel so happy that they did — so my little girl could find her way.”
Goetz Young says she’s blown away by the outpouring of support and is thankful for those coming to her aid. She’s also thankful for the people, including a family who lived nearby as well as Ember’s Grade 1 teacher, who happened to be driving behind them, who rushed to her vehicle moments after the crash.
“Thank you for opening up your home to that absolute chaos and making sure that me and my other daughter were safe,” she added. “Thank you to Ember’s Grade 1 teacher for staying through that because I can imagine that must have been horrific for her but she stayed and it meant a lot to me.”
Goetz Young remains in hospital with her other daughter, who broke her arm in the crash.
