Vigil held one year after women’s hit-and-run deaths
Posted February 18, 2012 9:05 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
COQUITLAM (NEWS1130) – More than 60 people turned out to a roadside memorial Saturday evening to remember mother-of-four Charlene Reaveley and 26-year-old Lorraine Cruz on the anniversary of the night the women were killed by a hit-and-run driver.
Charlene and her husband Dan had stopped to help another couple who were involved in a minor crash near Lougheed Highway and Pitt River Road when she and Cruz were struck by a suspected drunk driver.
Charlene’s father, Colin Ogilvie, remembered his daughter as someone who would help anyone. He said with the trial of the man charged in the deadly crash still a year away, the justice system hasn’t offered his family much help.
“No one at any level seems to be able to have the courage to stand up and say ‘this is broken and we’re going to start fixing it now.’ We’re going to make progress to make changes now,'” he said.
Giacomo Debenedictis was a friend of Charlene’s and said more needs to be done to stop drunk drivers from taking innocent lives.
“I’d like to see stiffer laws for drinking and driving,” he said. “I wish people would just smarten up.”
Charlene’s family and friends have lit candles at the crash site every night since her death, keeping her memory alive and helping warn about the dangers of drunk driving. They said they have found that the best way to stay positive is to focus on the Charlene Reaveley Children’s Charity.
“We’ve raised probably a total of close to $30,000,” said her widower, Dan. “We just did a toy drive for Christmas and helped 130 families. We also worked with battered women’s shelters.”
He said it has been a trying year for the family but the support has been amazing.
“It helps keeps your focus positive instead of negative. I’ve got the kids involved and all of the family members and a lot of friends as well. It has been very good,” said the now single father of four.
