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56 Pages The Voice of North and West Vancouver since 1969 www.nsnews.com 7 FREE

16-year-old Collingwood student dies
after car plunges off highway bridge

Katharine Hamer
News Reporter khamer@usnews.com

THE family and friends of a much-loved West
‘Vancouver teen haye spent the last few days in

teen-yearold Nick Downs, a student at Collingwood school, died cad
Sunday when bis car plunged offthe Upper Levels Highway at the Cypress Cree
bridge.

Downs had been reported missing by his father Lan when he failed to return
home after a date on Saturday night. Downs was scheduled to accompany his
father on a business tmp to Hong Kong, with a flight leaving at 10 aon. Sunday
morning. fan Downs contacted West Vancouver Police aU 12 pan. that day, after
they had missed the tlight.

Nick had gone our te dinner and a movie with a Vancouver gir, He
dropped ber off'at home around |
am. Sunday morning before heading
for home, according to WVPD Set
Jim Almas.

Alinas said the girl had desembed
Nick as being “quite evcited™ about
his inminent departure for Hong
Kong. Downs appears to have had
trouble finding his way hone. He
telephoned. a friend atter he had
dropped off his date and said he was
just going to follow the highwar
Almas said police searched the
Cypress Bowl area and subsequently
used a helicopter to retrace the route
likely followed by the boy
He said the vehicle Nick was dnving
—- a 199] silver Mercedes leat to hin
forthe night by bis tather -— was spot-
ted in the carly esening ar de bottum
: ofa ravine by Cypress Creck bridge.
THE wreckage of Nick Downs’ ‘The flattened car had tumbled
silver Mercedes was recovered = approximate
on Monday. By Monday, flowers and cards were
strewn along the highway at the spot
. where the car had fallen, along with a
- Collingwood school te, as friends and family congre .

Collingwood headmaster Grabam Baldwin described Nick Downs as “well-
liked, gentle, polite, and hardworki aye... just someone who scents to have creat:
ed for himselfa large pool of high regard amongst his peers.”

“The school is naturally extremely shocked by the turn of events. They're
reacting as well as young people can react in such devastating circumstances.”

“He was an extremely nice, pleasant boy,” said family triend Keith Anderson
yesterday. “He never bad an unkind word to say about anyone,”

Anderson said that Nick loved computers and was “idolized” by his younger
sister, Lauren.

Police are reconstructing the accident to deterinine whether speed or alcohol
were factots. An autopsy has alse been scheduled oo , ; w peeceaso we : "aye ; ieee . a

A memorial service has been set for 2 p.m. this Friday, May 12, at West Sees

Vancouver United Church, 2062 Esquimalt Ave. _ .
Said Anderson: “Nick will never be forgotten by his family and trieads. He'll FAMILY and friends gather at Cypress Creek bridge to mourn the loss of 16-year-old Nick Downs

always be with then.” (inset). The Collingwood student died when his car plummeted from the bridge early Sunday.

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