Expectant Victorian father killed in car crash on his birthday and months before the birth of his first child

An expectant father was killed in a car crash on his birthday and just four months before his first child was due.

Blake Laity was celebrating his 26th birthday on Saturday when his van collided with a sedan on the Great Ocean Road near Anglesea, in Victoria, at noon on Saturday.

His devastated cousin Molly Patrick said Mr Laity had dreamed of becoming a father in one GoFundMe post for his partner and baby.

“Blake has a baby on the way and Blake wanted nothing more than to be a father,” she said.

‘I’m creating this GoFundMe page to ease the financial stress on the family as they try to navigate life without Blake.”

Blake Laity (above) died in a car crash on the Great Ocean Road just four months before his baby’s due date

She described the 26-year-old as the most “loving and caring person.”

‘He enjoyed doing everything. If it wasn’t his friends, it was hanging out with his mum,” she told the Geelong Advertiser.

“Blake just had a bubbly personality, he was always there when someone needed him, he was just the light in everyone’s lives.”

Mr Laity’s friends and family have shared their tributes on social media, with many left shocked by his sudden death.

“Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing Blake would tell you that he was the light in every room he entered, that he had a heart of gold and that, above all, he wanted to be a father,” a friend wrote.

Another said: ‘You were loved by many, such a kind-hearted soul.

“My condolences to the lay family, my heart goes out to all friends and family, you will be missed by many, Blake. Fly high.”

The fundraising for Mr. Laity’s family reached over $6,000 on Tuesday afternoon.

Ms Patrick said she is “super surprised and grateful” by the outpouring of love from their community.

“It just shows you how much people loved Blake,” she said.

Mr Laity’s friends and family (above) describe him as ‘bubbly’ and the most ‘loving and caring person’

Victoria Police said the 58-year-old driver of the second vehicle was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The circumstances surrounding the collision have yet to be determined and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone who witnessed or has dashcam footage of the crash is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.