A 25-year-old woman is facing several charges, including impaired driving, in relation to a fatal crash in June that killed motorcyclist Matthew Forseth.
The 43-year-old Airdrie man was killed on the night of June 27, in a multi-vehicle collision that started when the driver of a pickup truck tried to pass a van and lost control, and hit an SUV.
Investigators said the truck then rolled into oncoming traffic and collided with two motorcycles, one of them being driven by Forseth. The other motorcyclist was treated in hospital for her injuries.
The driver of the truck, who was also injured in the crash, fled the scene and was later found and arrested, before being taken to hospital for treatment.
The RCMP announced Wednesday that 25-year-old Ashley Evans has been charged with the following offences:
- Impaired driving causing death
- Failure to stop after accident resulting in death
- Impaired driving causing bodily harm
- Failure to stop after accident resulting in bodily harm
- Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
- Failure to stop after accident
- Impaired driving
- Operate motor vehicle over legal limit
Evans has been released on conditions, and is set to appear in court on Sept. 20.
Forseth, a father of three from Airdrie, was buried on July 10, with motorcyclists escorting his family through Calgary as part of the funeral.
Forseth’s widow, Aimee, told Global News on Wednesday that a “huge part” of their family is now missing.
“Two of my daughters don’t get to have their dad at graduation,” Aimee said.
“None of my girls get him for when they get married or have children of their own.
“They had a big part of their lives ripped out of their hands that they had no choice about and that hurts a lot. And my heart hurts for my girls so much because I can’t even try to relate because I don’t know what it’s like to lose a dad at such a young age.”
Aimee said she’s trying not to be angry or hateful through her grieving process, and hopes the woman charged will learn a lesson through this.
Forseth’s oldest daughter, 18-year-old Brooklynn, said all of her good memories include her father.
“I just miss him being around all the time,” she said.
Sarah Sommerfield is the other rider hit in the crash. She suffered a broken arm and hand as well as a collapsed lung in the crash, in addition to losing her friend.
She said she woke up in the ditch on the road to someone trying to wake her to make sure she was OK.
“I remember waking up and trying to get up because I needed to make sure that Matt and everybody else was OK,” she said.
“I asked about Matt and the bystander explained to me he was unresponsive but there was somebody there with him.
“It wasn’t until we were in the ambulance on the way to the (hospital) that the paramedic let me know that he didn’t make it.”
Sommerfield said the crash has changed her life as well as “everybody who had the privilege to know Matt and be close with him.”
She said initially she felt a lot of anger about the situation but is working toward forgiveness, which she called the key to healing.
“I still have some physical and emotional trauma to overcome, but ultimately, all of that can be healed in time. It’s just going to take some work,” she said.