It was a day Cheyenne Ritchey will never forget.
On Friday, July 5, her family was changed forever when her two nephews and her stepmother died in a two-vehicle collision.
Battleford RCMP say they responded to a collision on Highway 4 near Cochin, Sask., around 12:45 p.m.
Ritchey confirmed her stepmom Nicole Gladue (48), and her two nephews Dominic (6) and Asher Ritchey (5) died as a result of the accident.
Her mother, Georgette Dryden, is also in hospital after the accident. Dryden was the primary caregiver of the two young boys.
“I saw those boys as my own kids,” she said. “Asher I like to call my little firecracker, he was such a fun guy. They were both such amazing little boys and I got to learn a lot from them.”
Get breaking National news
Dryden has been moved into the ICU as of Tuesday afternoon but is beginning to recover.
“It’s all overwhelming but I am just trying to remain strong for my mom,” Ritchey said. “She has always been my rock in life and I am trying to be there for her. She has quite a few broken bones but they need her to have a stable heart and lungs before she goes into surgery.”
The collision was one of two crashes that occurred on Highway 4 on July 5, which in total have claimed the lives of five people and left several others injured.
When asked about the highway, Ritchey said there are many stretches that can be scary to drive.
“I used to drive those roads all the time and I know how bad they can be,” she explained. “Even in the summertime it can be bad because the road division lines are not great and the speeds are a little too fast especially with the hills.”
This week a GoFundMe was set up for the family to help with funeral costs. But the celebration of life won’t be the only thing the money goes towards.
“Once the boys are cremated, I want to get some jewelry made for my mom and other close relatives out of their ashes,” Ritchy said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $6,200 has been raised for the family.
“Right now my mom is more sedated, but she comes in and out and I had told her about the money and what we’re raising and she was amazed by it and she was really happy about it,” Ritchy said.
“I’m so glad that there’s complete strangers out there willing to support us and help us get through this.”
RCMP say an adult male driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash was airlifted by STARS to hospital with serious injuries. There is no update on his condition, but RCMP continues to investigate the collision.
Comments