The Village of Naramata is mourning the death of a young man involved in an accident on Saturday where his vehicle plunged over 100 feet down an embankment.
Parker Summers, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene while his 31-year-old female passenger received non-life threatening injures and was transported to hospital by BC Ambulance Services.
Around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday RCMP said they received a report of a single vehicle collision on the KVR trail in Naramata. Summers and his female passenger were in a pick-up truck that left the roadway descending between 150 to 200 feet down a steep embankment just north of the KVR little tunnel viewpoint.
Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said Summers was travelling northbound with another vehicle which was leading it and they lost sight of Summers’ Chevrolet pick-up truck. Family members were in the immediate area at a camp out at the time and attended to assist.
Naramata resident Sandy March said her son, Steven March, was best friends with Parker since they met in grade school at Naramata elementary.
“For a young person he had such a wonderful sense of family, friends and community. It is times like this that Parker would be there as a shoulder to lean on for anybody else that was going through troubles,” said Sandy. “He was always laughing, smiling, joking and was truly loved by everyone in the village.”
She said Summers was very close with his family and was a history buff thanks to his interest in his father’s, Scott Summers, career with the U.S. Marines.
Family friend Christine Oakley remembers Parker as being very generous and, despite his imposing frame, a “gentle giant.” She said the song Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down won’t ever be sung with the same gusto at the Naramata Pub, where he worked and often hung out with friends. The song was one of Parker’s favourites on karaoke nights.
“He always had a smile on his face and loved to sing karaoke,” said Oakley. “He was a regular at karaoke and would sing all night long. Parker sang with heart.”
Oakley helped organize a fundraiser for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Naramata Pub, where Summers worked as a line cook and his mother Lori Summers is a bartender. The money raised from a 50/50 draw, silent auction and karaoke will be used to help support the family for the funeral arrangement costs.
Anyone who has prizes they would like to donate for the silent auction, or would like to donate but cannot attend, can contact Christine Oakley at 250-496-0042 or can drop off items or monetary donations at the Naramata Pub.
Funeral arrangements have been made for Wednesday at Parkview Funeral Home in Penticton at 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Thursday, a service will be held at Manitou Park at 11 a.m. Attendees are asked to bring a helium-filled balloon to the park for a special release in memory of Parker. After, a graveside service will be held at the Naramata Cemetery at 12:30 p.m.
