Two white crosses have been placed at the spot where a fatal crash happened Friday on the Muskoday First Nation. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Highway safety

Fatal crash shows need for change, chief says

Apr 13, 2020 | 5:01 PM

As RCMP investigate the cause of Friday’s fatal crash Friday south of Prince Albert, the chief of the Muskoday First Nation is renewing the call to improve safety on the stretch of highway which runs by his community.

Two people were killed in the crash north of the Muskoday store. Three were injured including an eight-year-old boy. The current speed limit on Highway 3 is 100 km/h, but Herman Crain as well as previous leaders have been asking for it to lowered.

“It is dangerous there and we have a number of access roads into the community. The highway is not really wide enough to allow for comfortable passing lanes,” he said.

Crain explained the issue was raised with the provincial government as recently as last January, and he said they were promised a traffic study would be done.

“This was very sudden and heartbreaking … I’m still numb with this,” _{– Sydney Wittal}

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According to the most recent statistics from SGI, there were 39 crashes in 2018 on the stretch of road connecting Prince Albert to Birch Hills. The year prior there were 30, which represent a sharp increase from 12 in 2016. Few people in the area forget the crash in July 2014, which claimed the life of a young boy, who was biking with his friends near the Muskoday bridge.

“We even had stats from RCMP and they backed us up with their information on the number of MVA’s on that stretch of highway,” Crain said.

Members from the Muskoday Volunteer Fire Department helped respond to Friday’s crash. Crain was a member of the department for many years before he retired last year and went to Friday’s crash scene to see if the crew needed help.

Crain said he experienced a fair share of tragedies during his time with the department, and said they do take a toll on the first responders.

“It doesn’t really bother you at the time. It’s the time after and I am sure that was the case with these young fellows,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure confirmed for paNOW a request has been received from Muskoday First Nation for a speed reduction. In order to evaluate the request, a speed study will be done first, which occurs during the summer months because ideal weather conditions are preferred to help get consistent data. No timeline was offered regarding when the study might be done this summer, or when recommendations, if any, may be made back to the First Nation.

Remembering Tianna and Ethan

With respect to Friday’s crash, RCMP have said a 22-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy were killed when the car they were in collided with a truck. The three occupants of the truck, two adults and an eight-year-old boy were rushed to hospital with injuries. The young boy was later released from hospital.

RCMP have not released the names of the people involved, but friends of the victims have been sharing their condolences on social media. Tianna Shaylynn Gatto, is described by a close friend as an amazing daughter, sister, friend and mother. Sydney Wittal, who is also the godmother of Gatto’s five-year-old daughter, has created a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses, as well as the young girl’s future education.

“This was very sudden and heartbreaking … I’m still numb with this,” Wittal told paNOW.

As of Monday afternoon, the online fundraiser raised over $9,000. Wittal said she was very thankful for all the community support.

“[Tianna] always put others first before herself and she seemed to keep everyone around her grounded. She has always had that motherly instinct and took care of everyone,” Wittal posted on the page. “She always reached out to people that needed a helping hand. She was very strong-willed, passionate, caring, loving, hardworking, and dedicated. She was like no other.”

A photo of Tianna Gatto. (GoFundMe/Sydney Wittal)

Ethan Novotny, 17, was in the car with Gatto, and was well known for his passion for cars. Stephen Lawrence has known Novotny over 10 years and told paNOW he thought of Novotny as a brother.

“He was more then a car enthusiast he loved anything with a motor that made noise,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence explained when he thinks about his friend, he thinks about all the times they spent together, whether it was shooting some pellet guns or just having a good laugh.

“He really just loved life. He was full of excitement and adventure. He always had an idea where to go and what to do next,” Lawrence said.

A photo taken of Ethan doing one of his favourite activities. (submitted photo/ Owen Monias)

Owen Monias knew Ethan for the better part of three years, and the two friends were essentially inseparable, he said.

“He had an energy no one else did,” Monias said, adding his friend’s energy was often contagious.

Monias recalled the day before the accident, Novotny had come to see him at work, and showed him the car he was driving — a borrowed Nissan Skyline. The car, made in Japan, was unique in that the steering wheel was on the right side. The same car was involved in the crash Friday, although it’s not clear if Novotny or Gatto was driving, or if they were attempting to pass another vehicle.

Monias recalled on the day of the crash, he tried calling his friend to go biking, only to learn later the awful truth of what happened.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell