Days after his wife, a costume designer, was killed when an Audi SUV crashed into a crowd of festival attendees, a Hallmark celebrity courageously spoke at a public event.
At the vigil in Vancouver, Canada, for the victims killed when a mentally ill driver ploughed into crowds gathered for a festival to honor Filipino heritage, British citizen Noel Johansen, who previously lived in London, fought back tears as he spoke about his wife Jenifer Darbellay, 50.
Around 8 p.m. on Saturday, an SUV crashed into a crowded street celebration honoring Lapu Lapu Day, killing eleven people and injuring scores more.
Johansen and his daughter Darby, age seven, were also hurt. Ford, his 15-year-old son, went to the festival as well.
The actor, who has appeared in Psych, Supernatural, Fargo and The Good Doctor, was on crutches as he addressed Monday’s vigils: “What you see here is an injury that means nothing to me because what’s inside my heart is broken.”
“Because my wife passed away behind me at the incident.”
“She never celebrated herself in her life. She never thought of herself; she thought of herself as small in terms of the reach. And I can tell you she was larger than life for any of you who know her. So don’t be small in life, be big, reach out and reach out as a human being with everything you have, and please remember us who went through this.”
When Calls the Heart, Chesapeake Shores, Harvest Love, Reunited at Christmas, Garage Sale Mystery: All That Glitters, and Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery are among the Hallmark Channel series and movies for which Johansen is most well-known.
Johansen’s friend and business colleague Michael Daingerfield set up a GoFundMe page, which has so far raised over $166,000, surpassing the $150K Canadian currency target.
“I am literally in shock as I write this – but I want to do something for Noel and his two children Ford, 15, and Darby, 7,” Daingerfield said of his friend and the family.
“This is an incredibly difficult time for Noel, and moving forward with his life is going to feel insurmountable.”
“Jen was a one-of-a-kind. She was an incredibly thoughtful, warm, caring, smart, stylish, artistic woman. A gifted painter, a selfless mother, and a loving wife. She gave the best hugs, was always there to listen without judgement, and had the sweetest voice.”
“She was not only special to me and my family (wife and kids), but she was special to many other friends and people – giving of herself volunteering on the PAC committee at Sir Alexander Mackenzie, Darby’s school.”
Following the collision, mutilated remains were scattered over the road, displaying complete devastation in horrifying images and video.
As local police descended and apprehended the driver, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, dazed spectators were seen rushing from the site and from victim to victim.
Lo is accused of saying “sorry” to witnesses while being pulled from the vehicle.
Following the murder of his sibling last year and his mother’s subsequent suicide attempt, Lo experienced a terrible mental breakdown.
He is still being held on eight counts of second-degree murder.
According to earlier statements made by authorities, the suspect was ‘known to police in some instances’ and was thought to have been experiencing paranoia and delusions before the incident.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver… We are all mourning with you.”
According to CTV news, Jagmeet Singh, the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, was there at the gathering but left just before the car pulled up.
“This is so horrific, I don’t even know what to say,” Singh said.
“I was just there, and I just imagine the faces of the kids that I saw smiling and dancing.”
Normally, during festivals, the city parks block roadways with dump trucks, but on Saturday, for whatever reason, that didn’t happen.
Families, kids, and neighbors from all over Vancouver had come to the festival, ready to enjoy the pleasant spring evening, not realizing the horror that was about to happen.
Instead, before paramedics could arrive, onlookers hurried to administer first aid, turning the street into an impromptu triage center.
Social media videos showed shocked festival attendees standing next to bent tents, overturned chairs, and strewn-about items—the wreckage of what should have been a routine, happy gathering.
Emergency personnel were observed doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on victims, while eyewitness footage from the site shows serious injuries among festivalgoers, including tales of a baby trapped beneath a car.
The ages of the 11 deceased range from five to sixty-five.
According to the Globe and Mail, Lo’s father passed away soon after the family moved into their Vancouver house, which is thought to have contributed to his mental collapse.
On January 28, 2024, at around one in the morning, his brother, Alexander, 31, was discovered dead inside a house, according to the Vancouver Sun.
After being taken into custody at the residence, 39-year-old Dwight William Kematch was charged with second-degree murder.
“It pains me deeply to put these words down, but my brother has been taken from us in a senseless act of violence, something we never saw coming,” he wrote at the time.
“Our reality has abruptly shifted. Despite our disagreements, the harsh truth that he’s no longer with us hits me with an overwhelming force.”
“I’m burdened with remorse for not spending more time with him,’ Kai-Ji continued. ‘I implore you to keep his soul in your thoughts and prayers.”
More than $9,000 was raised for Alexander’s funeral through the campaign.
However, a few months later, in August, Kai-Ji returned to solicit money, this time in response to his mother’s suicide attempt and subsequent month-long hospital stay.
“The unimaginable grief brought upon my mother is something that is worse than my own sadness,” Kai-Ji wrote.
“For she brought him into this world, only for him to leave abruptly, it is a sadness I cannot begin to express.”
“She lost a son already and is on the verge of losing her home. This has driven her to attempt to take her own life,” he shared.
Following the incident, Lo reportedly had multiple encounters with law enforcement and medical personnel.
Neighbors informed the Globe and Mail that during the previous two weeks, authorities even visited the Lo’s home to get security footage.
They talked about how they frequently heard Lo yelling inside.
“He always was yelling with his mom. I don’t know why,” one of the neighbors said.
“He is really nervous,” the neighbor said of Lo. “Very- always scared of something happening that might hurt him.”
According to the Sun, a family member had even gotten in touch with a mental health facility just hours prior to Saturday’s assault.
