Kingston-area man, 46, killed by tree during Ontario storm
Posted Sep 25, 2018 05:19:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A 46-year-old Kingston man was killed when a tree fell on him during a day of extreme wind and thunderstorms in southern Ontario on Friday.
Darren Smith died shortly after he was struck by a large maple tree near his home.
Smith, a husband and father of two teen children, was a longtime city of Kingston employee who was a supervisor with Recreation Facilities.
“Darren was a thoughtful and devoted father, who always put his family first,” a write-up on the crowdfunding site GoFundMe reads. “Darren was a fiercely loyal man who cherished his friends and always carved out time to be a listening ear or be there for anyone who needed anything repaired, built or moved. He was a rock.”
The GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help support his wife Diane and his children, 17-year-old Abby and 19-year-old son Jason.
Abby was with her father when he was killed.
The campaign has a goal of $50,000, and as of Wednesday morning, had raised $34,000.
On Monday, Environment Canada confirmed three tornadoes touched down in the Ottawa area.
Paramedics did not have an update on six people reportedly injured in Friday’s tornadoes, including two who were listed in critical condition.
But an official said there had been reports of additional chainsaw-related injuries and carbon-monoxide poisoning over the weekend.
With files from The Canadian Press
