In an extraordinary outpouring of support which filled a huge public carpark on a rain-threatened Friday night, more than 1500 people used social media to create a mass gathering to raise funds for the family of young Latham man killed in a car accident in Belconnen just over a week ago.
The carpark at Majura Park, between the Costco fuel dispensary and the McDonald's drive-through, is usually all-but-deserted on a Friday night, with most of the stores that line the carpark closed for trading.
But on Friday evening the carpark was a mass of cars and people of all ages, with a coffee van, a DJ, sausage sizzle and raffle tickets on sale, all raising funds for the young family of 21-year-old Nathan Mugridge.
The young man they gathered to honour with music and clear affection died after he lost control of his Subaru WRX on Kingsford Smith Drive around 5.25pm on May 20.
It was a single vehicle collision and the eighth road fatality in the ACT this year.
One of the organisers of the event, Dylan Armytage, who worked the sausage sizzle and sold raffle tickets said he was amazed at the response from various car club members around the ACT and beyond.
"We just set up a few pages on Facebook and Messenger and invited people along and it became enormous. They shared it through all their social media pages, the momentum began and it just took off from there," he said.
"People came from all over, we had people down from Queensland and Sydney.
"And people are so generous. I had a separate people just walk up and donate $300 and $400.
"Nathan had an old Corolla he was fixing up so we are thinking that one of our next projects might be to restore it so his Mum has something to remember him by."
He described Nathan as "just a real happy-go-lucky guy, really cheeky, great fun to be around, everyone liked him".
Mr Armytage said that some members of the public and media were all too quick to criticise young people who loved their modified cars and "yeh, sure, we play up a bit at times" but "what they don't see are these sorts of things, the things that we do to help and support our friends".
"We do lots of these fundraisers, in fact we had set one up on the night that Nathan had his crash, to help someone else who died recently," he said.
He said that the tragic thing was that "we are doing this all too often these days".
Nathan Mugridge's Subaru was a battered mess after the driver appeared to have lost control while travelling southbound on Kingsford Smith Drive near the intersection with Verbruggen St.
Police said initial investigations revealed that the car had crossed the median strip and the northbound carriageway, before colliding with a tree and a light pole.
"The driver appears to have died upon impact," police said in a statement.
An as-yet-unnamed passenger in the car was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
In a social media post, friends of the deceased driver wrote:
"Friday night 20/05/22 at 5.30pm we gained one of the brightest stars to ever be seen in the sky, our friend, family, brother, son Nathan Mugridge was in a fatal accident on Kingsford Smith Drive resulting in his passing, and a million broken hearts.
"Nathan was just the most beautiful person inside and out, genuine kind and always there for anyone no matter what. He was the best personality in the group with always a smile and good time with Nath.
"This Friday night at 7pm myself and my team are hosting a massive MEGA car meet at the Majura Autobarn carpark, to not only grieve a fallen brother but also celebrate his life and raise money to help this beautiful family in tragic times."
The response to the post was overwhelming, with reposting and messaging between friends and linked groups building the impromptu gathering to a size which overflowed the huge carpark, and attracted some high-end modified cars to the impromptu show'n'shine display.
The arrival of heavy showers of rain around 8.20pm sent the gathering under cover near the shopfronts, with the event wrapping up around 10pm. Over $5000 was raised which will go to Nathan's family in Yass, to assist with funeral and other expenses. The funeral, scheduled for Tuesday, is expected to be attended by hundreds of people.
