A couple's wedding dreams were shattered in New York City recently when the groom-to-be was killed in a car accident one day before their wedding ceremony. Kirk Walker Jr., 38, and his cousin Robert McLaurin, 40, died in a wrong-way crash on Henry Hudson Parkway near 165th Street on August 24, when another driver slammed into their car head-on. The driver of that vehicle got away on foot and is still at large.
Walker’s fiancée, Shauntea Weaver, 40, gathered with family and friends on August 25 to honor Walker's memory. A day that was supposed to be filled with love and excitement is now shrouded in heartache.
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The accident occurred overnight.
According to People, Walker and McLaurin were traveling north in a Dodge Charger around 2:20 a.m. when a pickup truck driver hit their vehicle head-on. Both Walker and McLaurin were pronounced dead at the scene. Two people in an Audi S3 were also involved with the crash and taken to a hospital in stable condition.
Police confirmed to People that the truck's driver and a passenger got out of the vehicle when it burst into flames. The driver escaped, but the passenger was taken into custody.
Weaver was devastated.
She and Walker were set to marry on Sunday afternoon. Instead, loved ones gathered in Bergenfield, New Jersey, to share memories of Walker and McLaurin.
"We're supposed to be at my wedding right now. This is supposed to be a wedding at the Royal Manor, not a celebration of death," Weaver told CBS New York.
She said her fiancé was a wonderful man and didn't deserve such a tragic death.
"Unbelievable, reckless," she said. "Kirk was amazing. He was the best, best person ever."
His father, Kirk Walker Sr., agreed and told the news outlet, "My heart aches so much, and I'm really angry. I'm angry."
The men both leave behind children.
According to a GoFundMe page, Walker was a father of three and a good man. "A loving and devoted husband, father of three, son, brother, and friend who has never met a stranger. To cross his path was to be forever changed by his charm, intellect, tenacity…. his all-encompassing LOVE," reads the description on the page.
McLaurin will also be missed terribly by his family. "A devoted father of two, son, and brother who traveled from North Carolina with his family to celebrate his 'best friend's' big day. A man that had such a presence you felt his energy before he entered the room, and it made you smile," the fundraising page description adds.
Loved ones want to give both men a proper burial.
The GoFundMe account has raised more than $17,000 of a $100,000 goal thus far. All money will go toward the men's final expenses and family support.
"As we spend these next few days switching gears from planning a wedding to planning celebrations of their immense lives….and getting Todd back to his hometown, we appreciate any and all contributions, whether monetary or prayers and words of encouragement," the fundraiser page reads.
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The family wants justice.
Police are searching for the wrong-way driver responsible for the men's deaths. Walker's father told CBS New York that he had a message for the driver.
"I want them to see my face. I just want them to know, it ain't over. It's not over," he said.
