Calgary's Albanian community rallying behind family of motorcycle crash victim
A 36-year-old Calgary father killed in a motorcycle crash last week left behind three children.
And his wife remains in hospital with multiple serious injuries.
“It’s hard … I can’t imagine now that I can’t see him anymore,” said Debatik Cermjani, the victim’s older brother.
Last Tuesday, Kreshnik Cermjani, who was known as Nick, and his wife, Ermira Cermjani — who was a passenger on his motorcycle — were on their way home from dinner when they were involved in a crash just before 11 p.m.
According to Calgary Police, a Yamaha motorcycle was headed northbound on 14th Street N.W. At the same time, a Honda CRV was travelling southbound and turned onto eastbound 20th Avenue N.W.
Police said the vehicles collided in the intersection and both caught fire.
Police are still investigating the cause of the crash but are looking into speed and alcohol as factors.
The driver of the SUV was not injured.
The couple has three children, ages 11, 14 and 16.
“For his wife, she’s in hospital and she’s surviving, she’s fighting with her life and now she knows that Nick’s passed away and she’s worried for kids," said Debatik.
Nick moved to Calgary 15 years ago from Kosovo.
Debatik said they were inseparable, working together as painters.
The two brothers even married twin sisters and have had kids around the same ages.
“It’s [a] shock for everyone, I can’t imagine now to go forward without Nick,” said Debatik.
Nick was well known in Calgary’s tight-knit Albanian community and among those who played soccer.
The Albanian Canadian Association of Calgary has launched an online fundraiser to support the family.
“It’s the entire community’s loss, everyone knew Nick, he was a passionate father, a hard worker, he cared about his family a lot,” said Ilir Kuqi, president of the Albanian Canadian Association of Calgary.
Kuqi said donations have come in from members of the community and those who knew the family through their work and soccer.
“What we hope for in the funds is to really help them in some shape or form help those kids to be able to have the best life possible for them,” said Kuqi.
Debatik, who has four children of his own says it's now his mission to support his niece and nephews.
“I know what Nick wanted for them. I’m going to try to do the same thing," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.