Mother of woman killed by impaired driver: plan safe ride home during holidays

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This article was published 24/12/2023 (668 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The mother of a woman killed by an impaired driver last year is urging Winnipeggers to plan a safe, responsible path home, if they intend to drink this holiday season.

There are alternatives to drinking and driving, including calling a sober friend, family member, taxi or ride-hailing company, staying the night or contacting Operation Red Nose vehicle service, says Karen Reimer.

Reimer’s daughter Jordyn, 24, who was acting as a designated driver, was killed May 1, 2022, when a pickup truck blew through a stop sign at 108 km/h and crashed into her vehicle at Kildare Avenue West and Bond Street.

In November, Tyler Goodman was sentenced to seven years in prison for impaired driving causing death and leaving the scene of the crash.

“The importance of people making good choices… it means saving lives,” Reimer said Friday. “If someone had made a better choice to not get behind the wheel, we wouldn’t be grieving the loss of our daughter.

“I think that we all have a responsibility to the public to make better choices. It is a choice to drive impaired.”

Impaired driving is a factor in nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities in Manitoba, according to police.

The Winnipeg Police Service historically conducts check stops throughout December, in an effort to curb impaired driving. City officers had stopped more than 1,500 vehicles so far this month, and issued at least 10 impaired driving charges.

While WPS spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said it’s too early to tell where the impaired driving numbers fall this year, in terms of annual comparison, he wants Manitobans to use the resources that are available to them.

“It’s hard to say, we’re still kind of in the thick of things right now,” Michalyshen said Friday. “We’re just hoping that people are making better choices.

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“We don’t want any tragedies to occur during this time of year.”

Operation Red Nose co-ordinator Sharra Hinton said the local volunteer-run organization has been able to keep up with call volumes that are lower than they were pre-COVID-19 pandemic. The program transports callers and their cars home at no cost amid the holiday party season.

“Anybody who is out and enjoying the holiday season and drinking should not be driving… not only for themselves, but for anyone on the road,” Hinton said. “We want to make sure people have more options to get home safely.”

Operation Red Nose runs from the end of November until New Year’s Eve and takes calls within Winnipeg and up to 10 kilometres outside city limits.

jura.mcilraith@freepress.mb.ca