A Winnipeg man who died in 2010 after his car was hit by a drunk driver is being permanently memorialized Wednesday.
Brett Yasinsky was on his way to pick up his girlfriend and go to a movie on Nov. 10, 2010. Instead, his vehicle was hit by a truck while he was on McPhillips Street near Grassmere Road. The 22-year-old died at the scene.
The new memorial is the first permanent impaired driving memorial in Manitoba, says Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and is at the site of the crash.
It features Yasinsky’s name, said his aunt Melody Bodnarchuk.
The sign is an important symbol and lets the community know that Yasinsky is not forgotten, said Bodnarchuk.
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“It is a reminder of the devastation that impaired driving causes, and that it kills.”
Bodnarchuk remembers Yasinsky as “having a difficult time” growing into adulthood and he came to live with her and her husband.
“He was blossoming. He had hopes for the future. He planned to go into law enforcement. He had a girlfriend that he cared for very much … He was a wonderful kid to have around. We enjoyed having him here.”
WATCH: Brett Yasinsky’s aunt and uncle speak to Global News in 2014:
MADD Canada and the Bodnarchuks lobbied for three years to have the permanent sign put up, she said.
“You apply, and then MADD takes the ball from there and works worth Manitoba Infrastructure to make it happen. The timeline, I’m not too familiar with the policies and procedures at Infrastructure, but it did take three years.”
“Drug driving is impaired driving,” she added when asked about the upcoming legalization of pot. “I think one is fooling oneself if they think they can drive impaired by drugs.”
The memorial will be unveiled at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
-With files from CJOB’s Brett Megarry
Listen to the full interview with Melody Bonarchuk on CJOB:
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