B.R.A.D.D.
B.R.A.D.D. ..Are you wondering what BRADD stands for? It stands for "Better Restrictions Against Drunk Driving"..Its also the name of my best friend Brad Duval, who lost his life to a drunk driver on September 25th, 1994. Along with Brad, 4 others lost their lives, with him are Martin Kotysan, Donald York, Dywayne Sim, and the driver who hit them Brian Gale.
Brad was my best friend, and it has taken a really long time to come with terms that Brad is really gone, and I am finding it extremely difficult to type this here. I just want everyone to know what a wonderful person Brad was. He was so special to me, it seemed like he was the only person to ever understand me. When I had a problem, Brad would sit there, listen to me and then he would have so many ideas to fix it. When I was down, it was Brad that brought a smile back to my face. We never once had an argument, we never once raised our voices to eachother. He was there for me and I was there for him.....Here is My story of the events that happened on that fatal night of September 25th, 1994....
It was festival time in the Ottawa Valley, many visitors were here from out of town...Brad, Dywayne, Don and Martin decided that after they were done work, they were going out for the night, Don volunteered to be designated driver. After work, they went home got something to eat, dressed and decided to go to a friends house and have a jam session...they were all into music, Brad played drums, Don and Martin played the guitar and bass, Dwayne was on Bass and vocals. Martin was strumming a tune for his 6 week old daughter, enjoying the little noises she was making. A few friends of theirs stopped by, Matt Boisclair who was the brother of Martin's (martian man)girlfriend Becky, and Derek Walker, a friend of everyones.
They had finished their jam session and went out to unwind. They pulled up to a bar called Banana Pete's, a local happening place in our small little city of Pembroke, located 100km west of Ottawa. Thats where I met up with Brad. I had called his place and his Mom had told me where to find him. We were dancing and shooting some pool and putting back a few pints having a great time, but the bar was getting packed so the guys decided they were going to go to the River Club, a bar just across the border in Quebec. Brad asked me if I wanted to go with them but I told him I would meet him over there I just bought a beer and I wanted to finish it, so I gave Brad a big hug and a kiss on the cheek like I always did, just not knowing that was going to be the last time I was ever going to hold Brad let alone talk to him again.
Flash to the Quebec bar, the Riverclub. Inside are people having a good time, one of those people being Rhonda St. Cyr, along with a friend Lori Burskey. They were doing nothing nothing wrong, just having fun and unwinding just like everyone else. They were enjoying themselves on the dance floor when in walked Brian Gale, the ex-boyfriend of Rhonda. He was drunk, so drunk he could barely stand and when he saw Rhonda having fun he went to total fury mode. Brian had not taken the breakup very well and went over to Rhonda and literally grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out of the bar and literally shoved her in the passenger side of his truck. The bouncers had tried to calm him down but it was no use and they called the police, no sooner did they call the police, he was barrelling out of the parking lot.
Flash back to Brad and his friends..They are turning onto the Quebec turn-off heading towards the Club.
Flash back to Banana Petes, Lori a friend of mine I had gone out with, and myself are getting into her car heading towards the club to meet up with Brad and the rest of the guys.
Flash back to Brian Gale...he is doing 160/kmh, heading towards Pembroke coming around the bend.
Flash to Brad and the guys, at the other end of the bend.....Don sees what is coming, a truck at extremely high speeds all over the road.
Flash....Lori and I are turning onto the Quebec turn-off.
Flash...Brian is grabbing Rhonda by the hair not paying attention where he is going, Rhonda is begging him to pull over and she will talk to him, she is pleading with him to slow down, she told him she was scared.
SMASH!!!!!....Brian had hit Don's car at such a high speed, the hood of Don's car is in the back seat of the car.
Lori and I hear it, and we can smell burnt rubber, all of a sudden we see flames, we come closer and I screamed Oh my God that is Don's car!!! Pull the damn car over now!!!!! We got out of the car, I ran over, Dwayne was already dead, his head was literally decapitated from his body from the force of the hood going to the backseat. Don was already dead, his neck was broken instantly. Martin was bleeding from the mouth and his ears, he had such shallow breathing, Lori tried to help him with cpr, but it was no use, his ribs had gone through his lungs. And then there was Brad...I pulled him from that flaming car, he was breathing, but barely. He told me everything was going to be alright, that he would fight through this, he would be okay. I was crying so loudly, I didn't have the heart to tell him his arn was just hanging there by skin, his eyes were all full of blood, he was bleeding from his ears, I could smell the burnt flesh of his leg. I told him I would see him again someday, he whispered don't leave me and he died on my lap. Lori had gone to the other vehicle, Rhonda was alive but she was pinned in the truck, we couldn't get her out, Brian Gale was screaming for help, we could smell the booze off of him, we refused to help him, we knew what he had done, others went to his aide, but it was too late, he died too.
I had to make that call to Brad's mom and dad that night, that was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. Dwayne was buried on September 28th, Brad and Martin were buried on my 20th Birthday, September 29th, and Don was buried on October the 1st. Rhonda had pins put into her arm, and she will have the scar to remind her of that night for the rest of her life.
Friends and family of Brad, Martin, Dwayne and Don, created B.R.A.D.D. to try and educate what someones decision to do something while under the influence, can affect so many lives. It will be 9 years on September 25th, 2003, and it seems like it happened only yesterday. The sad thing is, I am a mother of 3, I was supposed to be in that car, but a beer saved my life, I only regret not being able to save the lives of my friends, because when Brad died, my heart and soul died with him. I don't sleep, I don't go to Quebec, I don't go out anymore. I know I'm responsible, but what about everyone else on the road. If your going to drink and drive, remember what your one little decision can do to many people, and it may not only cost someone else their life, but it might very well cost you your own. Just remember, BRADD - Better Restrictions Against Drunk Driving
~Brad, I finally got the nerve to do this, fly with the angels sweetheart, I'll see you and be with you again someday~
~Treyceigh~
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