LONDON, ONT. -- Natalie Neville, wife of Lori Neville, recounts the day she and her three-year-old son Oliver, lost Lori in a collision.
“I just miss her so much, I just wish she was still here to be with us,” says Natalie.
On Saturday morning, Lori Neville set out from her home east of Sarnia, Ont. as part of the Great Cycle Challenge to raise funds for fight childhood cancer.
Then around 10 a.m., emergency crews were called to Petrolia Line after a report of a cyclist being struck by a vehicle.
Lori was transported to hospital and was pronounced dead, says OPP.
“Lori was a great person, she was so goofy and loved life so much...our son Oliver is a spitting image of her,” says Natalie.
Natalie, who was married to Lori for four years, was at home when she received a call that Lori was at the local hospital.
She rushed there with her parents.
“We went to the hospital and the doctor came in and explained that there was an off-duty police officer that was there...and tried to save her, but they felt she was gone,” says Natalie.
She says she doesn’t know who the off-duty police officer is but wishes she could thank him for everything he tried to do.
Natalie says she is also very thankful that she saw Lori one last time that Saturday morning.
She says that Lori usually texted to say that she was heading out for a bike ride early in the morning,
“But for some reason that morning she woke me up to tell me she was going...so I thankfully got to see her,” says Natalie.
Lori, 34, was a mother looking to help families who have had to suffer the stress and worry of dealing with childhood cancer.
“This August, I am taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids’ cancer! I can’t think of very many people that hasn’t known at least one child that has lost their battle. It’s a terrifying and heartbreaking reality for many, and as both a human and a parent my heart breaks a million times over the lives gone far too soon, and for the broken families left behind,” wrote Neville on her Great Cycle Challenge Canada page back in June.
Lori’s original goal was to raise $1,000 dollars for the charitable organization. Since Monday morning, people have donated over $6,000 to Lori’s page.
“She would be shocked...she always loved doing everything for other people,” says Natalie.
Natalie says there is a large group of people doing a ride in Lori’s honour on Saturday.
Provincial police continue to investigate the crash that occurred on Petrolia Line.
