At 20-years-old, Jared Kinnear was taken prematurely from his family after he was killed in a car accident at Scotts Head last Sunday morning (1st).

He died at the scene after the car he was travelling in crashed into a power pole in Adin Street, Scotts Head after leaving a 21st birthday party at around 4.30am.

Police said Jared was asleep on a mattress in the back of the Holden Commodore station wagon during the accident, which caused fatal damage to his heart.

The 25-year-old male driver from Bondi and two other male passengers, both 21, suffered minor injuries in the crash.

Jared is the third person to be killed on Nambucca Valley roads in less than a month.

His life will be celebrated during his funeral at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Macksville on Saturday, November 7, from 10am.

While the grief of losing their only son was unbearable, Mr and Mrs Kinnear said the support from the community helped them carry on.

“Everyone has been very supportive. I don’t think we would have been able to get through this without it. People have just been phenomenal,” Mr Kinnear said.

“Not that you ever want to find out this way how much people care.”

“As parents, you never think it is going to happen to you,” Mrs Kinnear said.

“We had done what every other parent does... tell them to be careful when they go out.

“But we couldn’t have changed it. It was a tragic accident,” Mrs Kinnear said.

Jared was the eldest of David and Lee-Anne’s two children.

A former student at St Patrick’s Primary School and Macksville High School, Jared was a keen sportsmen.

He won gold in the swimming pool at Homebush when he was 14; completed biathlons and triathlons; played rugby league for the Bowra Tigers juniors and later took the field for the Sea Eagles first grade at 16.

He went on to coach junior league, taking the Under-15s Bowra Tigers to premiership two years ago.

“He was well-loved by everyone who knew him. He got on with everybody whether they were two-years-old or 80-years-old it didn’t matter to him,” Mrs Kinnear said.

“He was a tremendous and very loving son.”