‘Our hearts are broken’: Family pays tribute to 17-year-old who died in Corio crash
Family remember teenager JJ Hutchinson who “laughed loudest and loved life” after the 17-year-old died in a horror crash in Corio.
The family of a teenager killed in a Corio crash have remembered the 17-year-old as the boy who “laughed loudest and loved life”.
Geelong teen JJ Hutchinson was the front-seat passenger of a Mazda sedan that crashed into a pole on School Rd about 2am Sunday morning.
JJ, a former North Geelong Secondary College student, was treated by paramedics at the scene but could not be saved.
Two other teenage boys, one believed to be the driver and the other a back-seat passenger, were taken in a stable condition to Geelong hospital with upper-body injuries.
Family and friends have since paid heartfelt tributes to JJ, remembering him as a young man with a spirit “far larger than his years.”
His older cousin, Georgina Hutchinson, described him as the “family daredevil” who was always first to take risks and never afraid of anything.
“He laughed loudest and loved life with an energy the rest of us could only admire,” Ms Hutchinson said.
“His laugh was so contagious, so full of joy it could lift the weight off any heart.
“He taught us to live fully, fearlessly and with love bursting at the seams.
“He reminded us that life is meant to be felt and to have fun, not just lived.”
Ms Hutchinson said the loss of JJ left a profound void in his family and circle of friends.
“No words can express the pain and the disbelief our family feels right now,” Ms Hutchinson said.
“JJ’s spirit- bold, bright, and unstoppable … will live on in every story we tell about him, every memory we hold close, and every moment we choose joy and courage because that’s what he would want.
“JJ will forever be our spark, the one who brightens our day but most importantly our reminder that a short life can still be a brilliant one well lived.”
Tributes also flowed on social media, with friends expressing their shock and sorrow.
One wrote: “Going to miss you so much JJ, our hearts are so broken.”
Another added: “Rest in peace little bro until we meet again JJ forever 17.”
A 16-year-old boy, alleged to be the driver of the Mazda, has been charged with culpable driving, dangerous driving causing death and other driving offences.
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Originally published as ‘Our hearts are broken’: Family pays tribute to 17-year-old who died in Corio crash
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