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Three people have died this year as a direct result of drinking and driving in the North East region, said the Ontario Provincial Police.
A 20-year-old woman was the victim of a drunk driver, and so was 18-year-old DJ Hancock, a Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves player who was killed in August on Highway 17. The other death was a drunk driver killed in a collision he caused.
For Jaymie Hancock and her parents, then events of Aug. 21 will forever be burned into her memory.
It's the night a drunk driver stole her little brother from her. It's the night she stopped being a big sister. It's the night she realized she'll never be able to watch DJ play hockey again, or that he won't be there to watch her graduate in the fall, or that she'll never be an aunt or a sister-in-law later in life.
“I don't take my life for granted any more,” she said, while sharing DJ's story at the launch of the 26th annual Red Ribbon campaign on Nov. 28.
“Our world has changed drastically. It's these little things you take for granted, and you never realize just how much you're going to miss them until they're taken away from you.”
In the short three months since DJ's death, Jaymie and her parent have done many things to honour his memory, she said. They've educated themselves on just how often drinking and driving happens, and they share DJ's story wherever and whenever they can in hopes of getting the message across about just how devastating drinking and driving can be.
“Sharing DJ's story helps to keep his memory alive, and we know that DJ would have wanted us to do something good with what happened, despite how awful it is,” she said.
They take their devastating loss one day at a time.
“We feed a lot off of each other,” Jaymie said. “When one of us has a bad day, we lean on the others for support. It's a lot of talking about DJ, and about what we're going to do to prevent drinking and driving so other families don't have to feel what we're feeling.”
Many in the audience shed tears at tale of how a drunk driver snuffed the life of an aspiring university student. And it's that kind of impact Jaymie and many others hope for when telling DJ's story.
“DJ was a great friend, he was loved by all who knew him,” she said. “He really enjoyed outdoor activities, and anything motorized, and he would never have thought about getting behind the wheel if he was impaired.”
As of mid-November, the Ontario Provincial Police has charged more than 430 people with impaired-driving related offences in the North East region, by alcohol or drugs, said OPP Insp. Mark Andres.
“In Sudbury alone, more than 35 people were charged this year,” he said. “We arrest impaired drivers every hour of the day. It can be 6 a.m., it can be 2 p.m., or it can be midnight, and some of the drivers are more than three times the legal limit.”
That's why the OPP and Greater Sudbury Police Service take very seriously its partnership with Action Sudbury and its Red Ribbon campaign.
The Red Ribbon campaign is a commitment made by Sudburians to drive aware, not impaired.
Throughout the Christmas season, red ribbons are distributed to residents, businesses and organizations throughout the Sudbury area. These ribbons are to be tied in a visible spot on a motor vehicle throughout the entirety of the campaign.
“There’s a significant human impact when it comes to impaired driving, and Greater Sudbury has seen more than its fair share of tragedies,” said Ron Roy, Action Sudbury chair.
