Whenever he hears of a pedestrian collision, Kevin Joss is taken back to the day his son Cody was killed.
“We feel their pain immediately, and then it also has that ripple effect that we feel our immediate pain,” he said. “It was just pure tragedy. I can’t even (say) the feelings that myself, or any of his family members, went through because we’re still dealing with all those feelings. It’ll never go away. We have to live with this for the rest of our life.”
Cody was struck by motorist in a hit and run while crossing a Winnipeg street almost 10 years ago. No arrests have ever been made, leaving Joss with only memories.
“His smile, his laugh, his hugs. Even at 21 years of age, when he’d stay at my place… it was a hug every night before you went off to bed,” Joss said through tears. “He loved family, he loved gathering, he loved his food, his music, his friends.”
So far this year, Winnipeg police say 13 pedestrians have been killed in motor collisions. There was a total of five fatalities involving pedestrians in all of 2023.
It’s a number that’s climbing by about 6.7 per annually, according to a report recently released by the City of Winnipeg, studying road safety from 2012 to 2020.
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In an email to Global News, civil engineer Ahmed Shalaby explained this can, in part, be attributed to more people using active transportation, but infrastructure not accommodating for it.
“Mature and efficient transit is a key feature in cities that have improved road safety. Rapid transit (bus or rail) is the best way to reduce traffic conflicts, and offer attractive, safe and sustainable travel options that integrate well with active transportation,” he said.
“In addition, it is important to recognize other factors that contribute to safer roads, such (as) safer vehicles that can only be operated at safe speeds, better driver training, and effective post-crash care.”
The city said it is currently following a Road Safety Strategic Action Plan, which it says aims to reduce fatal and serious injury collisions 20 per cent by 2026.
Cindy Myskiw was one of the first people on the scene after a man had been hit on Queen Elizabeth Way in August this year.
“I thought there was debris on the road. It didn’t really dawn on me. I wasn’t expecting it. And as my brains was calculating what was there, my girlfriend said out loud, ‘It’s a body!’ At the exact same moment, my brain realized it and I swerved and pulled over,” she said.
She said she turned on her phone’s flashlight and directed traffic away from the man, but was blown away by how fast people were going.
“It’s a 50km zone right there, and they were probably doing anywhere from 60 or 70, some of them,” she said. “It was scary. It was really scary.”
Myskiw said there is no excuse for dangerous and distracted driving.
“You need to be alert and observing everything around you and be a very defensive driver so that nobody else is getting hurt,” Myskiw said.
Manitoba Public Insurance advises drivers to stay on the lookout for pedestrians, to slow down around cross walks and school zones, and wait for pedestrians to fully cross the road before proceeding.
For pedestrians, it says to dress and walk to be seen, be alert, and always look both ways before crossing the street.
Joss says every decision — not matter how small it may seem — can be life saving.
“Honestly, I thought prior to my son’s accident that I would never happen to us. Well, I’m living that now, and I’ve been living it for ten years. So you know what? It can happen to you,” he said.
“You have a responsibility when you leave the house to only be looking out for yourself, but others as well.”
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