One choice can forever change a person’s life – or end it.
Alyssa Alanis survived a horrific crash more than four years ago in Burnaby and today she spoke with media about her experience in the hopes that it’ll discourage others from drinking and driving.
“I think this is a common message that everyone’s hearing, don’t drink and drive,” Alanis told the NOW Friday night.
Alanis was one of seven youths involved in a serious crash on Feb. 27, 2010 in Burnaby. The driver of the vehicle was impaired and lost control of his vehicle while speeding down Willingdon Avenue near Still Creek Drive shortly after 1 a.m. The car struck a lamppost causing it to become airborne and flip several times.
“Before you make that choice, don’t forget, you need to think about the consequences of the choice that you make,” Alanis said. “The consequence of one simple choice that you can make can change not only your life but it can change others’. Not only change it but it can end it.”
The driver and front passenger of the vehicle that crashed in 2010 managed to escape the crash unscathed, the five people sitting in the back of the car, including Alanis weren’t as lucky.
Three female passengers, two from New West and one from Vancouver, were severely injured while two male passengers, also from New West, died – including Alanis’ boyfriend.
According to Cpl. Robert McDonald of ‘E’ Division traffic services, Alanis was near death and wasn’t expected to survive – it is a miracle she was able to recover, he said.
“A story like this one, again for me I’ve been 30 years with the RCMP, and we’ve gone to several accidents. We always hear of people that sometime survive, most of them don’t survive,” he said. “We were told there was zero chance of survival.”
McDonald said doctors originally told Alanis’ family that she would likely never walk or talk again so her progress over the past four years is remarkable. She still suffers from lingering brain damage and she has a shunt to remove excess fluid from her brain. Alanis’ mother Gigi told the NOW that the injury to her daughter’s brain has affected her decision-making abilities, which means she can’t attend school or have a job.
Prior to the accident, the 18 year-old (now nearly 22 years old) was a budding musician with a promising career ahead of her. The singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist had toured with local band the Boom Booms the summer before the crash. Since that night however, she struggles to remember events, she can no longer play music, and only recently did she begin to sing again.
“For us, when we see something like that, it’s very powerful,” McDonald said.
Burnaby RCMP officers joined police from New Westminster and Mounties from across the Lower Mainland Friday night for a one-night enforcement blitz to crack down on impaired drivers. The blitz was part of a national campaign held coast to coast in anticipation of increased enforcement during the summer months.
“With the nice weather now, people are going to go out. If you’re going to consume any type of alcohol or drugs, please plan a safe ride home first,” McDonald said. “Family and friends, if somebody has consumed alcohol, please stop them from getting in the vehicle. …If the driver of the vehicle has been consuming drugs or alcohol, don’t get in the vehicle – the choice is yours.”
For McDonald, every death caused by impaired driving is one too many, and until it ends he said he and his fellow police officers will continue to operate road blocks in attempt to catch drunk drivers.
“That’s our goal, to save lives and prevent deaths,” he added.
The driver of the car that Alanis was riding in pled guilty to numerous charges including three counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm, two counts of impaired driving causing death, three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, and two counts of dangerous driving causing death. He was sentenced to three years in prison and handed a 10-year driving ban.
While the driver serves jail time, the pain and anguish of that evening in February 2010 will forever haunt Alanis and her family.
“Because of the choice I made to be a passenger in this car, I have to suffer with the consequences,” she said. “I have been wonderfully improving but it’s not easy.”
