Family of teen killed in crash near Portage la Prairie joins those calling for change

The mother of a Portage la Prairie, Man., teenager killed in a crash last weekend at the intersection of Highways 1 and 16 is joining those calling for change at the deadly intersection.

Nadine Roulette's 17-year-old son Dorian, along with his girlfriend, were killed at the intersection on Sunday night. RCMP said their Kia Forte was hit by when a westbound semi-trailer truck that carrying a load of heavy pipes ran a red light.

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"I just couldn't believe it when they told me it was my son," she told CBC News.

The pair is among six people who have been killed at the highway intersection in the last month, according to RCMP.

Roulette said her son and his girlfriend, a 19-year-old woman from the Rural Municipality ofAlonsa, were on their way home to Portage la Prairie after spending the day at a powwow on the Sandy Bay First Nation, the family's home reserve.

A 23-year-old man driving the semi has been charged with two counts of criminal negligence causing death and two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

'She's a keeper'

Roulette said her son liked to play the guitar and video games. He bragged about his girlfriend to her last week, the last time she talked to him.

"He said 'Oh mom she's a keeper,'" Roulette said.

Something should be done about that intersection.- Nadine Roulette, mother of victim

"He wanted to introduceme to her someday... that never happened. I never met her," she said.

It's a highway intersection Roulette said she's travelled through many times over the years. Sheknows people who have nearly crashed or who have gotten into crashes at the intersection.

News of her son's passing has hit her family hard, Roulette said, adding that Dorian was one of nine siblings and her third oldest child. Roulette said she'd like to see improvements made to the intersection, such as the construction of an overpass.

"They were young," she said. "They were just a young couple trying to build a life together."

"Something should be done about that intersection."

'Mixed emotions': Reeve

Kameron Blight, reeve of the rural municipality of Portage la Prairie, said councillors met Tuesday morning to discuss the intersection and the recent deaths.

"There's a lot of mixed emotions for sure," Blight told the CBC's Meagan Fiddler at the intersection on Tuesday. "It's pretty hard to stand here knowing that a lot of families have been impacted in such a terrible way."

Blight said he's also angry because improvements to the intersection have been slow. He saidfunding for a planned overpass at the intersection was redirected by the previous NDP government. He has questionedManitoba's current Progressive Conservative government on the project but now plans to ramp up those efforts.

"I guess I've dropped the ball ... I have not pushed hard enough," Blight said.

"We're going to go forward hard and go after the provincial and federal governments to put funding towards this intersection," he said. "It's long past due."

Roulette said her family is now heading to Sandy Bay First Nation for Dorian's wake and funeral. Her journey will takethrough the intersection where her son lost his life.

"I haven't driven by there yet," said Roulette. "I want to stop there and I want to say a prayer for my son and his girlfriend."