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Friends remember hard-working husband killed in alleged drunk driving collision near Estevan

Friends remember hard-working husband killed in alleged drunk driving collision near Estevan

Friends are rallying to support the family of Bisho Varghese Kalappurakkal, better known as Bisho Varghese, after the 35-year-old was killed on Saturday night driving a taxi.

"He's a king of all trades," said Subhash Gopalan, who first met Varghese in 2003 when the two were studying nursing in India and later reconnected in Saskatchewan when Varghese moved to the province at the end of 2012.

Varghese died and his passenger was sent to hospital, after the car they were in was struck at the intersection of Highways 18 and 39 east of the city of Estevan, Sask.

Gopalan said Varghese had finished work as a personal care aide at the Estevan hospital at 9 p.m. CST, and went home to shower before heading out to his part-time job driving a taxi cab.

Gopalan said Varghese promised his wife he would be home soon to eat the food she had prepared for him. Instead, it was police officers who arrived at her house to tell her her husband had been killed shortly after 10 p.m.

Neslin George's phone rang at around 1 a.m. on Sunday, when Varghese's widow, Joby, called with the news.

"It's hard to believe, hard to believe," George said. "He was a good and nice guy to everyone. Everyone."

George went to school in London, Ont., with Varghese before the two moved to Saskatchewan to get jobs and apply for permanent residency in Canada.

George said it is troubling to hear the other driver in the collision is charged with impaired driving causing death.

"For somebody's pleasure, we lose one of our lives."

Gopalan said Varghese was a primary provider not only for his wife, but also his mother, after his father's death.

He had recently finished building a new house for his mother in India.

"His mom is so depressed," Gopalan said. "His mom is like, 'Why did we build a new home, because my son is not going to be with me.'"

Gopalan, president of the Regina Malayalee Association to which Varghese also belonged, said the community has already exceeded its fundraising goal to get Varghese's body back to India.

"It is really painful you know because we let the family know that he is gone, but the family couldn't see him," Gopalan said. "They've been waiting, eagerly waiting to see him."

Gopalan said it could take weeks or even a month before the body is returned to India.

He said any extra money raised will go to Varghese's widow.