Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
KAYSVILLE — On Thursday, family members were remembering a father who was killed and a son who was seriously injured in a crash in Canada that took a heavy toll.
Randy Gruninger, 68, died in the crash Saturday in Nova Scotia that left his son, 38-year-old Randon Gruninger, hospitalized.
Randy Gruninger's other son, Nick Gruninger, told KSL-TV the two had gone to Canada on a golfing trip with a group of friends and that group was only 10 minutes from the golf course when the crash happened.
"A couple of teenagers just driving recklessly, one of them lost control, barely missed the first two trucks and hit the truck that my dad was in head-on," Nick Gruninger said.
Randon Gruninger and two others in the truck were seriously injured. The two teens in the other vehicle died, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
"It's extremely heartbreaking," Nick Gruninger said. "There's part grief, there's some anger."
Nick Gruninger said his father lived in Kaysville for 30 years and was a banker in Salt Lake City.
"He was just the nicest guy ever," he said. "He's my hero."
Nick Gruninger said his brother was in surgery for six hours after the crash and remained in the intensive care unit as of Thursday.
"It's really hard," he said. "Just the suddenness and unexpectedness of it all just makes it hard to comprehend."
The family set up a GoFundMe* account to help offset medical and funeral expenses.
"You hear about accidents all the time, and you feel sad, and there still feels like there's some distance between you and that. And when it happens to you, it's just hard to articulate," Nick Gruninger said. "One decision matters."
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
