This Friday, the video game community lost one of its own in a tragic accident. Brian Wood, a designer at Relic who worked on Company of Heroes, lost his life after a head-on collision with an SUV in Washington state. Wood is survived by his wife, Erin and his yet unborn child.
According to police reports, Wood's final act was heroic. As an out-of-control Chevy Blazer hurtled toward the Wood family, Brian braked hard and swerved his car so that he would take the brunt of the impact, saving his wife and child. While the crash was fatal to Brian, his wife escaped with only minor injuries and his child was unharmed.
“All the policeman say that if we had hit the car head-on all of us would be dead. At the very last second (Brian) braked really hard and turned right so that he would be put in the path of the SUV and not me and the baby, and that is the only thing that saved us both," Erin said.
As for the other car, police report that the driver was apparently changing her sweater and asked her passenger to take the wheel, a tragic mistake. The car jumped the center line into incoming traffic, and left Woods, and two passengers from the other car (25-year-old Jacob Quistorf and 26-year-old Francis Malloy) dead.
The driver, Jordyn Weichert, 21, is in custody awaiting charges of three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault. Police suspect drugs were among the causes of the crash. “There is quite a drug history there . . . and we found some evidence of that at the scene so that leads us to believe there were drugs in their systems,” said Sgt. Jason Longoria.
“More than anything he was a wonderful man," Erin said of her late husband. "He was so excited to be a father and he did the only thing he could to save his baby and it is so telling about who he is as a person that he was willing to sacrifice himself to save us. That is the true measure of a husband and a father. He loved life and was just so thankful for everything.”
Source: The Province
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supamann316
I will follow in your footsteps in life and as a game designer R.I.P. Mr. WOOD!!! :-(
jbcobb17
may the wind always be at your back, and the sun always upon your face, and may the wings of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars
deedubya
A true hero and an awesome father, he will be missed but well remembered I'm sure.
BenjiMan200
I had to make an account once i'd read through this. Not only did the man work on a truly superb game, showing his great talent but as many others have said sacrificed himself to save his wife and child. I can't really say any words that describe how brave and selfless the man was, RIP.
Griever2112
while heroic, and my heart goes out to Wood's wife and unborn child. this is such a senseless tragedy, all because some stupid girl decided to take a sweater off while driving... this girl needs to be locked up for the three lives she has taken, not to mention the lives impacted thanks to her stupidity, like a child will never know his/her daddy because of her dumbass. And she needs either life with out parole or to be locked in Solitary Confinement forever just for the sheer stupidity she has shown.
Scottyb09
I am so, so tired of hearing about innocent people losing their lives because of 1) people's total and complete stupidity, and 2) people who see no issue with drinking (or doing drugs) and driving (and I'm including a family member here). This kid will now be born without a father due to both of these issues which could have easily been avoided. God bless his family and his upcoming child.
deltaone2
God Bless his family! I'm sure God has him at peace now!!
CamWoad
If i was a game designer id create a memorial inside a game for him
Phantom751
I hope when his child grows up, she will know the heroic story of her father.
matthewdoucette
RIP Wood...
MasterOfWeed
*Sigh* Another innocent person lost to the irresponsible worthless drunk drivers of Washington it's sad that this happens so often it's people like this who ruin the privilege to be able to drink alcohol for everyone else, Hell I don't even know why they re legalized it in the first place it only causes problems and ruins family's and lives, I bet he didn't even get hurt from it because he was so drunk I hope that filth rots in prison for a good 5 years at least PULL THROUGH COURT SYSTEM!
Roadrunnerside8
I give my condolences to the families that have lost there loved ones and I hope they can find peace in this terrible tragedy. God Bless
Roadrunnerside8
I give my condolences to the families that have lost there loved ones and I hope they can find peace in this terrible tragedy. God Bless
Roadrunnerside8
I give my condolences to the families that have lost there loved ones and I hope they can find peace in this terrible tragedy. God Bless
NoahsArcade
I grew up in Oak Harbor, the town near where Brian died. Some of my friends knew the two other guys killed in the accident. It was eerie to StumbleUpon this story. I assume it was tagged as "video games" and that's how I was directed to it.
As written in the local paper after the crash, one of the two guys killed in the blazer is somewhat of a local hero:
"Accident victim Francis Malloy, along with his brother Zane, made regional headlines four years ago when they saved a baby at the Oak Harbor Marina. The two young men were divers who worked at their family s boat repair business. They leaped into action when a baby in a stroller rolled off a dock and into the cold water. They rescued the child before the stroller sank to the bottom."
This is in a harbor in north-western Washington where the waters reach 60-degrees in the summer. I didn't know Francis, but he sounded like an awesome human being. The only person I knew in the car was Jake, and only barely. We went to the same school, but that's about it.
As far as I know, nobody locally has reported that Brian was a respected game developer, but I'm forwarding this story to the paper. Maybe they will add it into their piece.
RIP, Brian, Jake, and Francis.
Drive carefully, everyone.
CareyGrant
What galls me? The driver and passenger of the offending vehicle lived. THEY LIVED! How is it the killers always live in these kinds of accidents?!
What a terrible shame. I wish his wife well.
Dellazice
That is one of the bravest things I've ever heard of. My condolences to the family.
elegant-Cheese burger
Just not fair, it really isnt, reading this just made me sooo sad, some idiots took the life of a man who loved his wife, child, and life. R.I.P.
EliteSpetzNaz
This is such a hard thing to hear... not just from a gamers point of view (as we unfortunately lost one of our own) but from another human stand point. I hope the party that thought it was a good idea to do drugs and think of something stupid like changing your sweater while driving gets a major reality check in the form of something equally terrible. As for Brian's family, I wish there was more I (or the rest of the community here) could do. And also want you to know that Brian's last actions were of the caliber that you only hear in fictional stories. Hero... just doesn't do this man justice, hes much more than that. Take care of yourselves and I'm sorry for your loss.
sodared
That is real love!
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