LANSING, Mich. (WSYM) - Losing a loved one is never easy, and speaking about it can be even harder
Friday FOX 47's Alani Letang talked to the father of one of the people, Kevin Trusty (57), killed in a crash on I-496 Tuesday night.
Bill Trusty, the father of Kevin, has adult sons who live in group homes for people with special needs.
Letang asked him about his son Kevin who died in the accident, and how Kevin's brothers are coping.
"The one son that was told is in his room and won't come out. And the younger one who is doing pretty well he's taking it in stride. He knows that his brother went to see his mother in Heaven" said Bill.
Kevin was the oldest of the three and Bill said he was well-liked by everyone who knew him.
"Everybody like him he really had a lot of friends I don't think I've ever gone any place with him that people didn't recognize him and say hi and he was smiling and waving and saying hi."
Kevin died when the van he was riding in pulled into traffic on WB I-496 and was hit Tuesday night. The driver was trying to give another car a jump start. When the van was making that turn to face the disabled vehicle it was T-boned by a third vehicle.
Bill said, "I don't really want to hold it against her. seatbelts were mentioned, but a seatbelt might not have saved his life. It was more a bad judgment and turning around on a highway. And the driver probably feels just as bad as I do, except she didn't lose one of her own."
Two died at the scene and a third one later at the hospital, and Bill did ask the driver of the van if his son died later at the hospital. Their response was, "they said it wasn't my boy, and I'm kind of grateful for that that he died on the scene," said Bill.
Bill told Letang Kevin adjusted well to the group homes he'd been in and became friends with the people that worked with him, "and everybody he said he was becoming a favorite." Bill also wanted to say thank you to a case worker and another employee that worked with Kevin and his brothers. Bill told Letang that he is very thankful for having those employees in his son's lives.
"Especially now there's really nothing that anybody can do, they can't bring him back. So I guess we just let it become a memory," Bill added,
There is going to be a memorial service for Kevin next Thursday, March 15 at 12 PM at the Saint Matthew Lutheran Church.
The Eaton County Sheriff's Office is still investigating the crash. Anyone with information is asked to give Det. Jim Maltby or Det. Rick Buxton a call at 517-323-8492
