An Edmonton couple killed in a motorcycle crash Friday evening are being remembered as a pair of loving parents who volunteered often to support local veterans.
Phil Mooney, 39, and Courtney Mooney, 37, died after a head-on collision Friday on Highway 28A and 246 Avenue near Manning Drive.
The pair were both riding a motorcycle that collided with a Ford Focus at around 10:30 p.m.
The local chapter of the Nam Knights Motorcycle Club shared a post remembering the two on Saturday evening.
According to its website, the Nam Knights club aims to raise money for veterans and law enforcement members through fundraising and awareness campaigns.
Phil was a veteran who had served in Afghanistan with the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) Regiment, and more recently worked at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Edmonton Service Bureau along with his wife to support other veterans.
The Leduc Legion Branch No. 108 said on its Facebook page Sunday that Phil and Courtney had both volunteered tirelessly.
“They shared their kindness at many fundraising events further helping veterans and others,” the post said.
“Our hearts are broken. We will remember them.”
An emailed statement from the Edmonton Nam Knights club said the crash had happened following a group meeting.
“They were returning from spending time with other members of the Nam Knights,” the statement said. “Tragically, they leave two children behind: Hannah, a new teenager full of energy and life, and Ashton, a rapidly growing boy who was wide open to the world around him.”
Motorcycle crashes on the rise
According to local safety advocates, the provincial rate of crashes in Alberta in 2020 is up compared to 2019.
“What we’ve seen this year is not a great trend in the motorcycle community,” Liane Langlois, the founder of the Alberta Motorcycle Safety Society, said.
“Last year we had 11 fatals in the in the province in total, and this year, with the most recent collisions, we are up to nine.”
To compare, by mid-June 2019 there were five fatal motorcycle crashes in the province recorded. Langlois said she believes the pandemic could be playing a role in the increase.
She added that all drivers — whether they be on a motorcycle or in a car — can help by simply taking extra care when on the road.
“It’s taking that extra look,” Langlois said. “If you’re pulling out to pass a vehicle on the highway, be sure you have time to get around that vehicle. When you are turning left at an intersection, be sure there is no one coming through.
“Motorcycles are small so that distance seems to be off for people or they look through us and don’t see us.”
Police are still investigating the cause of Friday’s collision but said over the weekend that speed was being considered a factor.
A GoFundMe page has been started to raise money for funeral costs and “any needs to help the young children in the near future.”
- Posters promoting ‘Steal From Loblaws Day’ are circulating. How did we get here?
- Video shows Ontario police sharing Trudeau’s location with protester, investigation launched
- Canadian food banks are on the brink: ‘This is not a sustainable situation’
- Solar eclipse eye damage: More than 160 cases reported in Ontario, Quebec
Comments