N.L. community consumed by grief after violent highway deaths of 22-year-old women

The violent highway deaths of two young women have left a swath of people on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula reeling, says a woman planning a vigil for the pair on Friday.

Haley Keating and Erin Pretty, both 22, were on a day trip to Clarenville when they collided with an SUVon the Trans-Canada Highway near Arnold's Cove on Jan. 21.

The collision killedPretty at the scene, and Keatingdied days later in hospital.The 71-year-old SUV driver, who police say showed "signs of impairment," was pulled from his burning vehicle with serious injuries.

The women were widely known and loved by their Trinity South community, saysMichelle Reid, a resident of nearby Spread Eagle whose daughters were friends with Pretty and Keating.

"They were two beautiful souls," Reid said.

"They were just starting out their lives.Bright, beautiful people there's no explanation for it. It shouldn't have happened."

Reid organized agathering Friday in Dildoto honour the women. She'd be surprised, she says, if there was a single person in the region who didn't know the pair.

"It's a tragic loss that's being felt within a community as a whole. If you've ever been to rural Newfoundland, you know how tight-knit these communities are," Reid said.

"Every single person in the community is affected by it. They're saddened. They're confused, and they're at a loss and they're having an unbearable time coping with this."

Reid, a police officer, says the general public mightnot have access to the same supports as first responders when they encounter a tragedy. The vigil which will have grief counsellors present and offer a place for young people to grieve togetheris an attempt to remedy that.

"I see a bit of a gap there. I see what my daughters are going through, I see it on their faces. I see that they're not understanding. They're not able to get their heads around itand really appreciate why or how," Reid said.

"This is a safe space for anybody that needs it right now.This tragedy is so deep-rooted as it is. I don't want anybody in our community, especially the young people, to know that there's not anybody else out there. There's so many people that are grieving. There's so many people that are trying to process this."

While the driver of the deadly collision hasn't been charged and police say they're still investigating the cause of the crash, Reid says the fact they suggested impairment may have been a factor is contributing to the community's despair.

WATCH | Terry Roberts reports on communities reeling from the loss of two young lives:

Grief and anger about highway safety after 2 best friends killed

7 months ago

Duration 2:34

An upcoming vigil will pay tribute to Erin Pretty of Dildo, Trinity Bay, and Haley Keating of Long Harbour, Placentia Bay, who were killed when their car collided head-on with an SUV driven by a 71-year-old man. The RCMP have said he showed signs of impairment, but it could be months before the results are known. The CBCs Terry Roberts reports.

"An accident is an is an accident, but if there's something that could have prevented a tragedy like this happening, it's going to outrage the public. And rightfully so," she said.

"Whether it is impaired or distracted driving, no matter how many charges we lay, how many convictions we get, how many families are affected, it doesn't seem to matter. Sometimes it doesn't seem like the ripple effect really resonates with enough people to get the message out there."

Reid says her daughter has had nightmares since the women's deaths, forced to play out the tragedy in her sleep.

"It was a beautiful, sunny, beautiful day. Done a bit of shopping, wanted to go for pizza," Reid said.

"And they were heading home just the same as what any other young person would have been doing. They were living life and they were loving life."

Download ourfree CBC News appto sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador.Click here to visit our landing page.