CHRIS Hoskinson was a bloke who doted over his grandchildren, did everything with the love of his life Leanne and was returning home from visiting his gravely ill sister when he died.
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According to his wife of 22 years, family was everything to Mr Hoskinson.
The 51-year-old and his mother Elaine Hoskinson, 76, were killed after their car veered into the path of log truck near Ross on the Midland Highway last Thursday.
Mr Hoskinson rang his wife 20 minutes before the crash to say he was stopping at Ross for a bite to eat.
``But they didn't get that far and that was the last anybody heard of them,'' Leanne Hoskinson said yesterday from their Newnham home.
That night Mrs Hoskinson saw the crash on television.
``I knew exactly what had happened,'' she said.
``It was a hard way to find out.''
Mrs Hoskinson, her children and five grandchildren have been left shattered but say they have been buoyed by the level of community support.
Mr Hoskinson, described as ``an easy going'' guy into anything mechanical, who loved his country music, had been a truck driver for more than 20 years and was well known in the industry.
``There's been so many messages of support . . . a lot from the trucking community, 40 Winks, where he delivered beds, called me yesterday,'' she said.
``I guess you don't know until you die how many people there are in your life.''
Mrs Hoskinson said she wanted the truck driver involved in the crash - a 64-year-old New Norfolk man - to know she holds no ill will towards him.
``I feel for the truck driver because he's doing it tough as well, I've sent him a card,'' she said.
Over the years the couple had fostered a host of children and when their own grandchildren arrived ``he just doted over them''.
Described as a caring man, Mr Hoskinson took time off from work to care for his father when he became very ill and had recently been doing the same for his mother who suffered Alzheimer's Disease.
He had driven her to the Royal Hobart Hospital to see her daughter, his step-sister, who had only been given days to live because of cancer.
It was on the following day, as they drove home, that the crash occurred.
``It's a tragic thing that they went to see her and then they've come back and this has happened,'' Mrs Hoskinson said.
The family still can't comprehend the crash.
Mr Hoskinson, who was driving, was a professional driver and was always very careful behind the wheel, his wife said.
``He was too young . . . but when your time's up, it's up unfortunately,'' she said.
Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said the accident was a tragic loss.
Elaine had been a long-term volunteer at City Mission previously run by the mayor.
``She's been a very important volunteer and it's very sad not just for City Mission but also the community to lose such a lovely person,'' he said.
