Christchurch man Jesse Crossan had an earlier accident when he was hit by a car while travelling on his motorbike - suffering injuries that ended his barber career.
His family said he was a “kind and caring” individual who was still recovering from the earlier crash.
“His mental health had improved, he was happy and in a loving relationship with someone he’d be with forever and making plans for the future,” his mother, Julia told the Herald.
“I used to say to him, ‘this is your journey and you’ll come out the other end and’ that was where he was at.”
Crossan was killed while travelling through north Canterbury when the car he was riding in collided with a bus carrying a group of students from Rangiora High School.
The crash, which was the first of two fatal accidents in the same region over last weekend, also killed the car’s driver.
Julia Crossan had been on the phone that evening with Crossan’s girlfriend, Hannah McKenzie, who was concerned he hadn’t shown up for their scheduled dinner date.
“He never did that,” Julia said. “He would call ‘I’m arriving at this time’, but he didn’t turn up so we were concerned for him. I was on the phone when police arrived at her door.”
It was a tragic end to the life of a man who his mother said was popular in Christchurch, making many friends through his involvement in the city’s music and hospitality scenes.
He was described as “such a social person.
“I couldn’t walk down the street in town without every twenty metres somebody coming up to him, crossing the street going ‘hey, Jesse’ and shaking his hand,” Julia said.
“He just knew and was loved by so many.”
Crossan had been working in hospitality when he left school - working the rounds in various bars and clubs as a cocktail barman. He was also a talented cook, working at Lone Star at one stage as a second grill.
Friends would ask Crosson to visit for the evening and cook dinner for them.
“Friends who couldn’t cook would buy a roast lamb and say to him ‘Could you come and cook [this] for me?’” Julia said.
“So he went around and cooked this really nice dinner for them, these boys who were out flatting with no food because they couldn’t cook. He was a really good friend to people.”
In a change of career, Crossan left for Auckland to train at a barber school - then returned to Christchurch and to work at a local barbershop.
He continued to make friendships with customers through being a talented storyteller. Julia remembered his ability to tell “the best yarns”.
But Crossan’s love for music is what connected him most, he was friends with various local DJs and would always be seen attending gigs and music events across the city.
“He was involved and drawn to music, he was so engaging and really knowledgeable because he was so clever,” Julia said.
“If he was interested in something he wanted to know everything about it, then teach and tell people about what he learnt.”
But his passions and hobbies were not without his fair share of challenges, in 2018 he was travelling on his motorbike when a car collided with him.
Crossan suffered ligament ruptures in both his knees and a compound fracture in his right leg, along with injuries to his wrists - which prevented him from continuing his passion as a barber.
“She didn’t see him,” Julia said of the driver, reflecting back on the incident.
“He was coming out the other side of it [before Friday’s crash].”
There had been more than 15 examples of concussion incidents that Crossan had endured over his life, from being hit by a car backing out of its driveway to riding a mountain bike downhill and falling off.
But friends, considered brothers were enough to keep him positive.
“When you’re a man and have all these things happening to you, especially as a clever capable person and then all these accidents change your plans, life gets difficult emotionally,” Julia said.
“So these friends supported each other, lots of New Zealand men aren’t like that.”
Those friends have joined a host of others that poured out support and sadness for the family over recent days, reflecting on the way Crossan had impacted so many of them.
“I get solace in knowing he died with a heart full of love and happiness, he’d found his person and was making plans for the future,” his mother said.
