Friends of the young man recently killed in a crash at Brady Road and the Perimeter Highway are rallying to have changes made at the deadly intersection.
Ethan Boyer, 19, was killed when his car was hit by a semi at the intersection Oct. 25.
Friends of the teen from the RM of Rockwood have since started a petition to see the busy corner closed until a safer route is made.
“I don’t think this is something that could or should wait,” said Lesley Shepherd, who started the petition.
“Unfortunately Ethan wasn’t the first person to die there, but we’re hoping he will be the last.”
Manitoba Public Insurance says Boyer’s death was the first at that intersection since 2009, but there have been 85 crashes there in the past 10 years.
Shepherd’s petition calls for the intersection to close immediately and for traffic to be rerouted from the controlled intersection at Waverley Street and the Perimeter until permanent changes are made.
Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler has said upgrades to the area are coming, but the work won’t be finished until sometime in 2020.
That timeline isn’t quick enough for Shepherd.
“There is a dangerous situation here that needs to be addressed immediately,” she said.
Shepherd said she’s sent an email to Schuler and her local MLA, along with the ongoing petition, but hasn’t yet heard back.
As of Thursday morning, more than 1,400 people had signed the petition, which has a goal of 10,000 signatures.