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Still Jammin’ Langley’s Greg Drew is set to host another outdoor concert in memory of his son, Jay, who died in a high-speed car crash a decade ago
MONIQUE TAMMINGA Times Reporter
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’s sixfoot, five-inch inch frame compressed — his femur bone was shoved up beside his ear. “It’s been 10 years, but it was like it was yesterday,” said Drew, sitting on the deck of his Allard Crescent acreage. That’s where he will host his all-day Jammin’ 4 Jay concert on Aug. 25. The multi-band concert, featuring Tom Lavin and the Legendary Powder Blues, will mark 10 years since Drew’s 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. “With 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,” 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. “I was 23 years on the job. I had seen it all, but when it’s your own son lying there . . .” 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. “Jay had Superman syndrome. He had been in three crashes before this one,” said Drew. In fact, Drew, seeing the carnage of many teenagers and their sports cars, worried about Jay driving a highpowered car. continued, PAGE 6 Monique TAMMINGA/Langley Times
Langley’s Greg Drew stands beside the truck which tows his son Jay’s crumpled car to B.C. high schools. Drew uses the vehicle in which his son died on May 11, 2003, to illustrate the dangers of speeding. On Aug. 25, he will host another Jammin’ 4 Jay concert to raise funds in support of his efforts.
Bring The Sport Back To The Car www.aw.ca
MURRAYVILLE (24hr. drive-thru) 22259 Fraser Hwy. 604-534-6333
2013 SCION TC WALNUT GROVE (24hr. drive-thru) 8790-204th Street 604-513-8788
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PORT KELLS (24hr. drive-thru) 19840 - 96 Ave. 778-298-1171
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