It’s been five years since their son was killed in a crash on the South Perimeter, and Ethan Boyer’s parents continue working to keep his memory alive.
Ethan, 19, was on his way to a morning class at the University of Manitoba when his car was struck from behind by a semi, forcing it into another large truck. The tragedy led to the construction of a new service road known as Ethan Boyer Way, between Waverley Street and the Brady landfill.
The truck driver responsible pleaded guilty to careless driving causing death, and was sentenced in December of 2021 to a $2,000 fine and a two-year driving ban — a sentence jointly recommended by the Crown and defence.
Sue Zuk-Boyer, Ethan’s mother, told 680 CJOB’s The Start that while five years is a long time, the crash seems like it happened yesterday.
The family has been actively pursuing safety measures with the goal of preventing other Manitoba families from going through a similar tragedy. Zuk-Boyer said it’s important that her son’s memory has a positive impact.
“I can’t just have let him be a stat, that nobody knows who he is and what happened…. It’s etched in my mind forever,” she said.
Although Ethan’s parents say conditions on the Perimeter have improved since the crash, there are still reasons to be concerned.
“It’s a huge improvement from before when people could just cross the highway, but there’s still lots of intersections on the Perimeter,” Zuk-Boyer said.
“It’s still accessible to people, and it’s unfortunate … but people just don’t pay attention or come out when they’re not supposed to, and that’s when collisions occur.”
Dana Boyer, Ethan’s dad, said the aftermath of the crash that killed his son led to a number of parents urging their own kids to pick a safer route.
“We’ve had friends and family who’ve had their kids going to university at the same time Ethan was going, and shortly after (the crash), they made their kids divert the way they were going. Instead of going on the Perimeter, they go through the city.
“Everybody says ‘Drive safe,’ but I always say, ‘It’s not me you’ve got to worry about.’ Sometimes (other drivers) are not paying attention or don’t know what they’re doing.”
Ethan’s love for pets — his parents said he always had a cat or dog somewhere near him — has led to a charitable effort to raise funds for local animal shelters in his name.
The Tin for the Critter Bin initiative means people can donate food and other pet items at the Marion Street and Southdale Shopping Centre Pet Valu stores, as well as Quarry Pets in Stonewall.
So far, the family says it’s made seven food drop-offs at local shelters.