Tyler's farewell to car crash victims

WITH his blond hair dyed black and his right arm in plaster, 17-year-old Tyler Green walked into a funeral service today to face for the first time the families of four teenagers who died in a horrific weekend car crash.

Tyler was driver of the car and sole survivor of the crash in which his best friends died at Broken Head near Byron Bay on the NSW north coast on Sunday.
About 700 mourners, many dressed in black T-shirts bearing band names like AC/DC and Metallica, packed into the funeral service for one of the four, talented young guitarist Mitchell Eveleigh, 16.

Mitchell, Corey New, 16, Paul Morris, 16, and Bryce Wells, 17, all died in the crash and their weeping families, friends and many classmates attended the service at St Carthages Catholic Cathedral in Lismore.
Tyler attended the service despite the advice of his father, Mitchell Green, who had cautioned that it might worsen his heartache.
But as Tyler sat with his head on a mate's shoulder and the anguish showing on his face, a senior police officer made an impassioned plea for the community to forgive him.

Superintendent Bruce Lyons, local area commander of the Richmond district, gave a heart-wrenching tribute to Mitchell Eveleigh and said he hoped Tyler would draw some comfort from knowing his friends already had found peace and tranquillity.
Supt Lyons delivered a message of comfort to Mitchell's parents, Karen and Robert Eveleigh, and siblings Rachel and Logan.
To Rachel and Logan, in days to come not far away you will see the sun shine again and will see the waves coming on the beach, he said.

You will look up into the sky and see your brother dancing on the steps of heaven.
Then he told the service: I would like to turn my thoughts to a young man named Tyler.
Young man, on behalf of many, may I say God bless you.

I know in past days you may have been asking yourself a number of 'what ifs?' and perhaps you haven't been able to answer them.
You need to know that Mitchell, Bryce and Corey are in a peace and tranquillity that none of us are yet to know about.

In a poignant moment, one of Mitchell's friends, Ben Nolan, played a rendition of the Led Zepplin classic, Stairway to Heaven, on an electric guitar to reflect the funeral's rock 'n roll theme.
Another mate, Joe Kelly, paid his respects in words. For the past 16 years he's been making the world a better place, Joe said.

He made everyone feel good about themselves in one way and he was always there for everyone.
He never let anyone down.
In the program, Mitchell's mother had written: To my Mitch, my Mitchy, my Moo.

You made me so proud in all and many ways.
Your musical ability, achievements and good company were an inspiration.
The funeral of Bryce Wells began at 2pm at Lismore Uniting Church while services for Corey New and Paul Morris are scheduled for churches in Lismore tomorrow.