With tears streaming down his face, and his voice welling up in pain, Greg Drew re-tells the story of arriving at the crash scene where his 17-year-old son Jay sat trapped, battered and broken inside his crushed sports car. Jay鈥檚 six-foot, five-inch inch frame compressed 鈥� his femur bone was shoved up beside his ear.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been 10 years, but it was like it was yesterday,鈥� said Drew, sitting on the deck of his Allard Crescent acreage. That鈥檚 where he will host his all-day Jammin鈥� 4 Jay concert on Aug. 25.
The multi-band concert, featuring Tom Lavin and the Legendary Powder Blues, will mark 10 years since Drew鈥檚 son Jay, a Walnut Grove Secondary student, sped down 80 Avenue, losing control on a corner and slamming his Eagle Talon into a tree at a high rate of speed.
鈥淲ith seven large bones broken, and his front end of his car compressed into him, he used his good hand to phone his mom to apologize,鈥� said Drew, his voice breaking, while holding a framed picture of Jay in his grad gown.
Drew never got to see his youngest son graduate with the rest of his friends at WGSS.
Drew, as a veteran Surrey firefighter, had seen his share of graphic and tragic crashes involving teens.
鈥淚 was 23 years on the job. I had seen it all, but when it鈥檚 your own son lying there . . .鈥� Drew starts to cry, not able to finish his sentence.
Drew had heard about the crash over the scanner and worried it might be Jay, so he rushed to the scene.
鈥淛ay had Superman syndrome. He had been in three crashes before this one,鈥� said Drew.
In fact, Drew, seeing the carnage of many teenagers and their sports cars, worried about Jay driving a high-powered car.
Working one night, six weeks before Jay died, Drew brought his two sons down to a graphic scene involving an Eagle Talon wrapped around a telephone pole in Surrey. The outcome in that crash wasn鈥檛 good either.
While the impact of seeing that crash made a difference with his older son, it clearly didn鈥檛 change Jay鈥檚 view of driving dangerously. Jay鈥檚 favourite movie was the 鈥淔ast and the Furious.鈥�
Drew said when he arrived at the scene, his son knew he had been badly injured.
鈥淗e was conscious the whole time. He didn鈥檛 say boo because he knew he screwed up big time,鈥� said Drew.
It took more than an hour for 91原创 firefighters to tear away Jay鈥檚 car, that had wrapped around him.
His size 15 shoes are still etched into the metal underneath the pedals of his mangled car.
The shoelaces have been taken out, said Drew, a request made by Jay鈥檚 young cousin. She now wears the shoelace around her neck with her home key attached, to remember him by.
Jay was rushed to hospital with severe injuries and swelling in the brain. He died of his injuries not long after.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the most hopeless feeling in the world, holding your son鈥檚 hand and watching him take his last breath.鈥�
Drew found himself living a parent鈥檚 worst nightmare.
He was inconsolable.
鈥淚 could have sat at the bar fridge and drowned my sorrow or killed the pain with a bottle of pills.
鈥淚nstead I decided to tell Jay鈥檚 story in hopes I could stop at least one kid from making the same mistakes Jay did.鈥�
鈥淚 called up [91原创 MP] Mark Warawa 鈥� who at the time was an ICBC 91原创 manager, and said 鈥榙on鈥檛 crush my kid鈥檚 car.鈥�
Warawa honoured his request and had the car towed out to Drew鈥檚 property. The mangled metal that once was Jay鈥檚 car sat collecting dust for a few months while Drew languished in his grief.
Then Drew decided he was going to take Jay鈥檚 car and his son鈥檚 cautionary tale to high schools around B.C. in hopes his emotional, in-your-face, message could save at least one teen from the same fate.
鈥淭he first high school I spoke at was in the Kootenays, towing Jay鈥檚 car with my old, rusty truck,鈥� said Drew.
His message is raw and from the heart, often with Drew crying in front of the teens. But it鈥檚 that raw and often shocking testimonial 鈥� which includes Jay鈥檚 ashes 鈥� that sink in with the kids.
鈥淚 tell the kids, 鈥榶ou think your actions don鈥檛 impact others, but there is a tidal wave of destruction.鈥�
鈥淔rom that first time when I spoke in the Kootenays, I received 50 emails from kids, some bawling their eyes out, and it hit me 鈥� I was getting through and that means the whole world to me,鈥� said Drew.
That was more than five years ago. Since then, Drew has spoken to thousands of teens, including some in 91原创 this year, drilling his hard-hitting message home. He has received emails and letters from several students who attend Jay鈥檚 former school, saying his words changed them.
The teens he speaks to often are bawling alongside Drew as he tells them to go home and hug their parents, because all he can do now is look at photographs of Jay.
鈥淲hen I look out at a gym full of students and half the kids are crying, then I think maybe I touched them emotionally and maybe they won鈥檛 speed that time, or get drunk behind the wheel,鈥� said Drew.
He has had teachers come to him and say they had been trying to reach a troubled teen and Drew鈥檚 message is what got through.
鈥淚 had one kid come up to me after and say 鈥榶ou changed me. I have been a real shithead to my parents and I can鈥檛 wait to get home and introduce my parents to their son again.鈥欌��
Each student is given a decal they are asked to put up on their vehicle鈥檚 visor. On it is a picture of Jay and the acronym RATT, which stands for Responsible Adult Thinking Teenager.
鈥淚t turns out Jay was a street racer. If someone would have RATTed him out, call me and tell me, it could have made the difference,鈥� Drew said.
Talking to teenagers has been really therapeutic for him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good for me to know my kid didn鈥檛 die in vain, he is making a difference.鈥�
For the first time, because of fundraisers like Jammin鈥� 4 Jay, Drew was able to leave a scholarship at WGSS in Jay鈥檚 name. He hopes to build on that and add more.
This year鈥檚 concert proceeds will go to paying for a new truck and trailer that can haul Jay鈥檚 wrecked car to high schools around the province. At Jammin 4 Jay, his vehicle will be once again be out on display.
Drew said there is nothing he would love more than to sell out the concert. There are 450 tickets available. His new wife Carla has been the backbone to organizing what should be an amazing event, he said.
A bunch of local bands are playing too, including In Harm鈥檚 Way, Pie, which is a band from Walnut Grove, Kronik, The Sneaks and more. Beach volleyball will also be going on, along with food and other fun, and maybe some surprises, too.
Pre-day tickets are $50 and $60 at the gate. Tickets can be bought at www.jammin4jay.com. The concert goes from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 9978 Allard Crescent in Fort 91原创. Those in attendance must be 19 and over.
More information is available at jammin4jay.com.
