| [ Total Views: 960 | Total Replies: 24 | Thread Id: 5760 ] |
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 Craig Torrens
A.k.a.: Craig Torrens
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 08:57 PM |
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A SAD DAY FOR MOTORSPORT
I have just heard that the life support system has been turned off for "POSSUM" Bourne, a legend of a rally driver and an inspiration to so
many. Possum had a "head on" on Good Friday and suffered from extensive internal injuries.
This is a very sad day for motorsport.
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jenz58
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 09:00 PM |
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That is very sad
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SKEWtYpe3
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 09:05 PM |
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that is sad, i loved watching him, and he sounded like such a down to earth fellow as well !
will be missed !
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 BenettonVW
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 09:10 PM |
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oh man.. I am a huge fan of motorsport(maybe you can tell by my formula 1 inspired name) and this sorta thing really rattles my cage.. I simply
can't believe it. It is so easy to think that motorsport has just as many risks as any other sport.. football, rugby.. numerous contact sports..
sure freaky things can happen, but unfortunetly it seems it happens more offen than normal in motorsport.. A motorbike rider died a few weeks ago
too.. Uwiche Uwe I think..
Very sad news. RIP. |
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 Bizarre
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 09:19 PM |
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:jesus
Futue te ipsum!!!
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penguin
A.k.a.: Chris
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ackkkkkk thhhhhpt!
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 09:25 PM |
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Lately
Daijiro Kato motorbike rider in the motogp class, was a world Champ a year or two back in 250cc
'Ah, whatever................'
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kombi_kid
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 09:55 PM |
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i diodnt even know he had a head on!! whats the story?
very sad day!
cheers
rhys
it aint just cool its aircool'd
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skid
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 09:59 PM |
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i had the pleasure to compete against 'possum'.this is really a sad thing for australian rallying..
he was without doubt one of the nicest people you could have the pleasure of meeting.truely a sad day!!
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skid
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 10:00 PM |
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easter friday driving home from a tv interview,he was hit by a 4wd head on..
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68AutoBug
A.k.a.: Lee Noonan
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 10:21 PM |
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A VERY SAD DAY in Motorsport.....
I am also a Mitsubishi - Ed Ordinski - Scott Pedder Fan, but I have enjoyed watching Possum on TV for Many Years... He was a gentleman and the
'best' Rally driver in Australasia... Just when things seemed to be going His way... this had to happen..
Although I enjoy most motor sports, Rallying is My favorite ...
I couldn't believe it, when My Wife told Me that She had heard on the News of His Accident... I am Sure , All Rally enthusists in Australasia
will miss 'Possum' Bourne...
A Very Very Sad Day for Motor Sport...
Can anyone shed some light on the cause of the accident... I heard He was in a Rally
- then I heard He was sweeping the road (to make sure No Cars are on the road) before the rally actually started...
then just above, that He was coming home from an interview....
Does anyone know the truth please...
- [size=4]Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY--- [/size]
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68AutoBug
A.k.a.: Lee Noonan
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 10:25 PM |
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Another shock... after Barry Sheene passing away from Cancer.... I knew He was sick but didn't know the extent of His illness.... Barry was also
a Gentleman....
Down to earth- talk to any motor sport fan- was everyone's friend...
Possum was the same....
Rest in Peace...
Two great losses to Motor Sport....
- [size=4]Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY--- [/size]
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SKEWtYpe3
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 10:39 PM |
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Sheene too.........................
:cry
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XXX-1.8T
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| posted on April 28th, 2003 at 11:14 PM |
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it is a very big loss:jesus
At least they are in the big race track in the sky:bounce
RIP
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KOM123
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| posted on April 29th, 2003 at 04:20 PM |
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Although things don't look to good, wouldn't be the first time a miracle has happened so don't proclaim him as dead yet. I know the
life support system is off but I bet his family don't want to hear people saying he has passed away just yet:
Possum condition update
Statement from the family
Latest news
The following statement has been issued today by Murray Brown, general manager of Possum Bourne Motorsport, on behalf of the Bourne family:
"Peggy and Possum's family remain by Possum's bedside in Dunedin Hospital.
Possum has now been removed from all life support equipment but is getting the best possible care from the hospital staff.
The family continues to take strength from Possum's courage to the end, as well as the messages of support from throughout New Zealand, Australia
and around the world.
No further statements will be made until there is a significant change in Possum's condition."
-----------------
And this was the most detail I read at the time about what happened:
Possum Bourne seriously injured
Bourne involved in head-on crash
By David Thomson
Latest Possum News
For the lates Possum News, please click here : Rallysport News Home.
Possum Bourne has been seriously injured in a freak accident on the course of this weekend's Silverstone Race to the Sky hillclimb, prior to the
start of the event.
Bourne, who was returning from the top of the hillclimb course after a reconnaissance run in a Subaru Forester road car, collided head-on with another
competitor, who was the last of several cars in a convoy also undertaking a reconnaissance of the 15km course in road vehicles, but proceeding
uphill.
Bourne, with wife Peggy at his side, was airlifted to Dunedin hospital, which is the main hospital facility for New Zealand's lower South Island.
He was listed as a class-one casualty, which is reserved for the most seriously injuries, and his condition on Saturday night was reported as
'critical'.
The driver of the other vehicle - well-known South Island competitor Mike Barltrop - sustained a broken leg.
The accident happened on a wide, straight section of the climb at a lip over a crest. Local police have confirmed that excessive speed was not a
factor in the crash, estimating that both vehicles were travelling at 60kph or less at the time of crash.
"He [Bourne] was on the correct side of the road and wearing a seat belt at the time," said event organizer Grant Aitken. "It would
appear that dusty conditions may have contributed to the collision."
Eye witness reports suggest that Bourne was hit amidships by the Jeep Cherokee Barltrop was driving.
With such injuries, it is certain that 48-year old Bourne will miss both next week's Canberra Rally and next month's Argentine Rally.
]
[Edited on 29-4-2003 by KOM123]
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KOM123
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| posted on April 29th, 2003 at 04:22 PM |
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And for a bit more detail:
An All-Round Champion
Possum Bourne
By David Thomson
I'm writing this piece as a tribute to the most successful rally driver New Zealand has produced, but by the time it appears in print it is
likely to be an obituary.
It is early on the morning of Tuesday, April 29, 2003.
Last night Possum Bourne's family and team issued a statement to the effect that the head injuries suffered by the Kiwi rally ace in a freak road
accident on Friday, April 18 were more severe than initially thought.
Possum has been in a medically-induced coma since that accident. When an attempt was made to decrease ventilation support at the weekend, his
condition deteriorated. Further evaluation, including a brain scan, has led those with the terrible job of making such judgments to the conclusion
that full support is no longer in Possum's best interests.
Murray Brown, general manager of Possum Bourne Motor Sport, has confirmed that the decision has been made to gradually decrease Possum's life
support, and says that "his chances of survival are virtually nil."
Now is the time to acknowledge the remarkable achievements of the 47 year old rally ace. In a career spanning almost 25 years, he has won national and
international championship titles, rallying with and competing against some of the greatest drivers in the sport.
Rallysport News will, I know, provide a fitting tribute from an Australian perspective. This one comes from the Kiwi point of view.
Possum Bourne started his career in 1979, driving a Ford Cortina V8 to third place on his first event. He graduated to a Mazda RX3, making a storming
international debut on the 1981 Rally of New Zealand. He then switched to Subaru, a marque to which he remained loyal for 20 years.
Back in those early days, he was known by his real name, Peter. Then it became Peter 'Possum" Bourne, and finally just Possum.
The story of how he got that nickname - given after he rolled his mum's Humber after swerving to avoid a Possum on the road - has become part of
the legend. Recalling my own younger days, I recall asking Possum many years ago if there really was a marsupial on the road, or whether that was
simply the excuse. He just smiled.
We first met some 18 years ago, when he drove a standard Subaru RX to an unlikely victory on the 1985 Southland Rally in treacherous and icy
conditions. His first national championship win, this memorable result was scored against a high class field including a Group B Audi Quattro, a
couple of Nissan 240RS's, and numerous BDA Escorts. He still recalled the victory with pride a couple of months ago, when he suggested with a
laugh that it was as close as he had come to rallying in conditions like those he would face on this year's Swedish Rally.
Possum won the New Zealand Championship only once, but that was because he had the talent to take his career offshore with Subaru.
These opportunities arose after he scored a hat trick of Group A wins for Subaru on Rally New Zealand from 1983 to 1985. From 1986 to 1989, he rallied
the RX Turbo on selected world championship rounds, scoring five top ten results in 11 starts. Highlights included a third place on the 1987 Rally NZ
(an event which he could have won outright), and three finishes on the gruelling Kenyan Safari.
When Subaru decided to up the ante and bid for outright world championship wins with the new Legacy, Bourne was one of those on the shortlist for a
factory drive. His fifth place on the 1990 Rally NZ was at the time the best result by a Legacy in world championship competition. His fourth place
scored on Rally Australia - in a car detuned to protect its fragile transmission - was an even greater achievement.
Responsibility for the Subaru world championship programme was passing from Japan to Prodrive in the UK at this time, and Bourne joined Markku Alen in
a two car assault on the 1990 Welsh Rally.
I was working in Britain at the time, and had fun catching-up with Possum as he prepared for his first taste of left-hand drive rallying. The Welsh
Rally experience should have been followed by a run on the RAC Rally that year, but instead the team's second car was driven by F1 driver Derek
Warwick in a one-off guest appearance.
Possum re-focussed on a local programme for the next couple of years, winning the 1991 Kiwi title before heading across the Tasman to start his
Australian championship career by finishing runner-up in the 1992 series.
The opportunity to re-launch his international career as a factory driver came with the burgeoning Asia-Pacific Championship, which he won against
top-flight opposition in both 1993 and 1994. Victories against the likes of Kenneth Eriksson and Richard Burns en route to these titles rank amongst
the greatest achievements of his career.
His home fans, though, usually had the chance to see Possum in action just once a year, on Rally New Zealand. It was taken for granted that, so long
as he finished, he's be the first Kiwi home. What they turned out to see, was his bid to take the fight to the leading international stars.
The performance I savour most came in 1992 when he challenged Carlos Sainz (then with Toyota) for the lead. Just when it seemed within Bourne's
grasp, the engine of his Subaru Legacy cried enough. The tens of thousands of fans who packed the special stages to witness his epic drive were
devastated.
In recent years, Kiwis have taken pride in Possum's performances on your side of the Tasman. It must be said that his ability to 'whip the
Aussies' gave us a special boost in those years when our rugby, cricket and netball teams have not managed to perform to quite the same level!
His achievement in winning the Asia-Pacific title for a third time in 2000 - in a car prepared by his own team - didn't generate quite the same
interest in New Zealand, even though it was an achievement he regarded with huge personal satisfaction.
Possum was a living legend here, ranking up there as one of the country's best known sporting names. I recall him turning up in my home town to
talk to teenage school kids about road safety, and by his mere presence generate a standing ovation that left their teachers bewildered
On a more personal note, when my book "The Rally New Zealand: Celebrating 25 Years" was launched on the eve of the 1996 event, Possum sought
me out to offer congratulations, and would only sign my copy if I did the same for him. A couple of year ago, a signed poster arrived in the post
unsolicited, expressly thanking me for my words and support over the years.
These incidents highlight the fact that Possum was one of the nice guys of sport: a Pukekohe lad who never forgot his humble origins; who always had
time - and a ready smile - for the public and the press; who was committed to raising the profile of his sport; who used his own standing to support
worthy causes; who most of all inspired and encouraged others through his infectious enthusiasm.
As someone who looked forward not backwards, he grasped opportunities as they arose. The most recent example came with the move to a Group N
championship in Australia.
While it wasn't a change he initially favoured, Possum relished the close competition that resulted. He also used the experience his team gained
to leverage a chance to contest the 2003 Production Class World Championship.
It was a plan he started to talk about after last year's Canberra Rally, and support from Subaru Japan started to fall into place when he won
last year's Hokkaido Rally, the first international championship rally ever held in Japan. I was there, and felt a huge swell of Kiwi pride as
the band struck up God of Nations when Bourne took top place on the podium.
That production championship bid has now been cut short, but regret is not a word I can bring myself to use, since it wasn't one that featured in
his vocabulary.
We can only imagine what a terrible time this is for Possum's family, and his team. They have maintained a 24-hour vigil at his side. They have
found comfort in the way the Kiwi and Australian rallying fraternity, and Possum's legions of fans worldwide, have expressed their support.
Now that Possum is slipping from this world, we should remember that the coming weeks and months are when ongoing support from the wider rallying
fraternity will really count. In the meantime, my thoughts and prayers are with Peggy, Spencer, Taylor, Jazlin and the members of Possum's wider
family.
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BenettonVW
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| posted on April 29th, 2003 at 06:31 PM |
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I agree with the above. Thought he was literally dead, not 'real close'.. Hope he pulls through, but...
Keep all fingers crossed. |
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68AutoBug
A.k.a.: Lee Noonan
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| posted on April 29th, 2003 at 07:54 PM |
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You can send Well Wishes to Possum's family in NZ..
possum@possumbourne.co.nz
Does anyone have any late info on Possum's condition....
- [size=4]Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY--- [/size]
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Grey 57
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| posted on April 29th, 2003 at 08:00 PM |
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As a fellow Kiwi , I hope he pulls thru too.
It's really ironic that after years of high risk motor sport and surviving that bad crash that killed his navagator in WA , that he would be
seriously injured in a low speed 60kph impact.
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Mister Hoodjacks
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| posted on April 29th, 2003 at 08:53 PM |
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He's gone, fellers. He went this morning.
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Tazzielittle
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| posted on April 29th, 2003 at 10:36 PM |
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Thoughts go to the family and friends.
It is a truly sad day.
:jesus |
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KOM123
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| posted on April 29th, 2003 at 10:57 PM |
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Can I ask where there is a link to confirmation of his passing? The update that I posted was supposedly at 4.26pm today?
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Craig Torrens
A.k.a.: Craig Torrens
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| posted on April 29th, 2003 at 11:11 PM |
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The radio news confirmed this morning. I'm waiting for "Sports Tonight "on ten to have an update: 11pm tonight
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Bugged Again
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| posted on April 29th, 2003 at 11:55 PM |
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Very sad, he could have at least been screaming through the hills of Monte Carlo or Kenya and come a cropper at high speed.
60 kays in a forrester, makes you think doesn't it, new cars are meant to be safe. what chance would we have in our veedubbs
for all the soccer nuts out there Eddie Thompson departed not too long ago |
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vanderaj
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| posted on April 30th, 2003 at 12:12 AM |
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Unfortunately, this is where mass comes into the equation. Ladder chassis 4wd owners steal our safety margins.
Possum would have been in the newest Forester, which achieved 5 star NCAP rating. Means diddly squat when you meet 2400 kg of stupidity running right
for you.
He will be missed. I saw him at the Motorshow and he was a really nice guy to those getting autographs.
Andrew
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fish
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| posted on April 30th, 2003 at 05:17 AM |
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sad sad day. thoughts go out to the family and friends. fish
Drink and drive your a bloody idiot!!! make it home you'r a legend !!!!
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KOM123
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| posted on April 30th, 2003 at 11:30 AM |
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NOW unfortunately it is official:
Issue: 15 Published: 30 April, 2003
Possum Bourne dies peacefully
Rallying loses a legend
Latest news
It is with great sadness that rallysportnews.com.au has learnt of the passing of New Zealand rally legend, Possum Bourne.
The following statement has been released by the family of Possum Bourne:
It is with deep sadness that we announce that Possum Bourne passed away peacefully at Dunedin Hospital, New Zealand, at 1258am NZ time today (April
30).
A further statement will be issued at 1130am NZ time, at Dunedin Hospital, on behalf of the family. There will be no further statements until then.
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The_Bronze.
A.k.a.: Bronze
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| posted on April 30th, 2003 at 09:40 PM |
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Sadly missed!
Forever remembered!
Loved by fans, friends and family forever.
The Bronze Family
[size=4]Bronze.[/size]
Rathmines, Lake Macquarie, NSW.
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70AutoStik
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| posted on May 1st, 2003 at 10:05 PM |
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Very sad to hear this. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family
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