The scene was picture perfect. A small, blond, curly haired girl, hand up to horse’s mouth, offering a delicious horse cookie, just purchased from the local tack shop. Purple basket in hand, filled with other treats, her pink sun dress and her crocs pressed up against her Aunt Daphne, who gently guided Alexa’s hand to ensure she was safe. Grandparents, looking on, with adoration at this precious scene, as they sat in their car next to the corral on this rural road.
The scene was shattered in a matter of seconds, as a burgundy car came careening out of control, slamming into the grandparent’s car, catapulting it 60 metres down the road, and then striking Alexa, Aunt Daphne and the treasured horse. Alexa, blown clear out of her crocs and into the paddock under a tree, was killed instantly, from a lower brain stem injury. Aunt Daphne, left lay a short distance from Alexa, her right side of her body shattered, bones exposed, and fighting for her life. Grandparents, trapped in a vehicle, unable to sort through what had just occurred, had the sense to phone home.
The pool was quiet, our son, Christian was splashing about with Dad on the side watching. The silence was broken with the sound of sirens and emergency vehicles sped down the road that backed onto our property. Through the cedar hedges we could see the fire trucks, knew something serious had happened. Just as we were getting on our bikes to check it out–we got the call. It was our family. Deep in our spirit, deep in our core, we knew it was Alexa.
So when the three of us, yes, God we took Christian, arrived on that tragic scene, we don’t need to tell you what we saw. Seeing your child laying lifeless on a horse paddock, blown right out of her crocs that she was just wearing a few minutes ago, is pretty graphic. Seeing the grandparents, blood streaming down their faces, stuck in their car, was unnerving. Seeing Auntie Daphne loaded onto an air ambulance, while being handed her blood soaked jewelry complete with bits of straw and twigs, almost brought us to our knees.
Seeing the accused, smoking a cigarette, sitting on the curb, was also pretty graphic. Learning from the officials in charge – whilst bedside tending to Alexa’s lifeless shell at the Children’s Hospital in Vancouver – that speed and alcohol were factors in Alexa’s death, now that was down-right brutal…simply brutal.
Knowing that impaired driving is the number one cause of criminal death in this country, knowing that on average 2-3 British Columbians die each week due to impaired driving, and knowing that this is how our four year old princess was killed is almost unforgiveable, and everyone reading these words can only concur. But instead of casting blame - we chose to look for solutions, and have chosen to make our British Columbia - and this country – safer.
As adults, parents and leaders, we know that fewer impaired driving related is possible – as such, it is now our duty to make what is possible reality.
We hope you join us on our journey.
Signed,
Alexa’s Family and Friends
