GoFundMe launched for grieving Abbotsford family after snowplow death

A young family is grieving after a 31-year-old Abbotsford man was killed by a private snowplow working in the Fraser Valley Thursday morning.

According to a GoFundMe launched overnight by his childhood best friend, Anthony Hetzel was on his way to work when the tragedy happened.

“We all just kind of crumbled together,” Meagan McManus said of the moment she and others learned of Anthony’s death.

According to police, the driver “somehow lost control of their vehicle” on Highway 1, and ended up in a ditch.

“Whilst walking westbound on North Parallel, unfortunately, [he] was struck by another vehicle that appears to be a pickup truck equipped with a snowplow that was privately contracted and privately run,” explained Abbotsford Police Department Const. Art Steele Thursday.

McManus created the GoFundMe, sharing that Anthony leaves behind a one-and-a-half-year-old son, a wife, parents, and friends.

Speaking to CityNews Friday, McManus said she had known Anthony since high school and is godmother to his son, Fox. Stunned by his death, she describes receiving the news as a big shock.

“I think the whole world just stopped turning at that point,” McManus said.

She says Anthony’s loved ones are trying to reflect on how great of a father, husband, son, and brother he was.

“He was easygoing, hilarious. He was the glue that held our friend group together,” McManus said. “He was such an honest guy. He was always someone to keep in touch with people. Even people who he didn’t keep in touch with, we’ve received lots of messages from people … sharing that he’s impacted their life so much and they remember him all these years later.

“He was just so selfless and always taking care of other people first.”

McManus says Anthony was a dedicated father, who spent “so much time making sure his son had such a great life.” But she acknowledges it’s going to be a roller coaster for Fox and his family.

“We got to make sure that his son knows who he was as a person, because he was such a great guy.”

McManus shares that Anthony was the sole income earner for the family, and the money raised will be used to help pay for their mortgage and groceries.

“They kind of need all the help they can get at this point. Nobody’s doing that well in this economy, so, we wanted to make sure that they were taken care of as you can get them. We can take care of them emotionally and physically, but we can’t take care of them financially,” she said.

But McManus says Ashley, Anthony’s wife, is a very strong woman — putting on a brave face for her son and everyone else affected by the tragedy.

“I think it’s really hard for her when Fox asks about daddy, but she’s doing absolutely amazing, because, as a human being, I can’t even begin to imagine what she’s going through.”

McManus says while the GoFundMe has already raised a significant amount of money, they’re also thinking long-term.

“If we can raise more than $50,000, it would be amazing to set up some money to send them to college later, that kind of thing,” she said. “But right now, we’re just focusing on making sure that they’ve got what they need for this current moment in time.”

Holding back tears, McManus is reminding people to share their feelings for those close to them, as the future can be so uncertain.

“I want to tell everyone to hug their loved ones — you never know how long they’re going to be here.

“He was a dedicated father, and also an amazing son for his parents, and I know they’re going to miss him. His brother’s going to miss him so much.”