By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
When Rachel Mattsson lost her mother in a hit-and-run accident last fall, she faced a choice of being bitter or better.
The 49-year-old decided on better, and is now channeling her energy towards raising awareness to help prevent traffic accidents that cause injury or claim lives.
“There’s a lot of anger and frustration out there,” said Mattsson in a recent interview. “Instead of putting anger out, I’m trying to raise awareness.”
According to previously published reports, Wendy Clark, 66, was struck on Ridgetown’s Main Street while crossing the road to go to a local pharmacy in the early afternoon of Oct. 19, 2022. Clark was airlifted to a Windsor hospital and died two days later.
A 38-year-old man is facing a number of charges in connection with the incident, including leaving the scene of an accident. The matter is still before the courts and a publication ban is in place.
“My mom had just stepped out of her car when she was hit,” Mattsson explained. “My voice might make people think, ‘Oh wow, this could happen to me.’”
As part of her healing work, Mattson has lent her voice to C-K’s National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims for two years in a row. The event, held Nov. 15, pays homage to all who have been seriously injured, disabled or lost their lives on the road.
The Day of Remembrance also marks the start of Chatham-Kent Police Services’ RIDE campaign.
When it comes to the impaired driving rates in Chatham-Kent, the statistics are sobering.
Const. Kristen Charron, a CKPS collision investigator, said there’s been a 13-per-cent increase this year compared to 2022.
Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 2 of this year, officers have made 105 impaired arrests, which translates to about one every three days.
Charron said many of the arrests occurred after a crash.
“Thirty-three of this year’s impaired arrests involved a non-life-threatening motor vehicle collision,” she said. “Of the 17 major collisions that were investigated by our traffic management division this year, impairment by drugs or alcohol was a known factor in six of them. And of these six collisions, they resulted in the deaths of eight people.”
Besides bringing a face to the Day of Remembering campaign, Mattsson has launched other projects to honour her mother’s legacy. Her daughter Isabella, 16, came up with a slogan that says “Drive Safe – Someone Loves You.” The message has been emblazoned on silicone keychains, which are being sold to raise money to support a new essay contest at Ridgetown District High School. Students in Grades 10 to 12 are asked to pen an essay outlining what to do if they found themselves in a vehicle with someone who was driving unsafely or erratically. The winner takes home $500, and Mattsson is hoping to expand it to other area schools.
“I found out students are not very comfortable when it comes to speaking up,” she said, noting the contest is a step towards changing that.
Mattsson is also doing her part of honour The Pie Ladies, four beloved senior women who were killed by a drunk driver in Chatham in 2007. To commemorate the Pie Ladies, Mattsson purchased homemade pies from a local church to be shared at the Day of Remembrance gathering.
“I don’t want those people to die in vain,” she said.
Mattsson, who again joined the kickoff for C-K police RIDE program, said she plans to continue to do her part to make local roads safer.
“These accidents are needless and preventable,” she stressed. “People are in too much of a hurry these days and they need to slow down. People need to think about what they’re doing.”
Meanwhile, Mattsson is doing her best to make sure her mother’s memory endures.
“My mother was a strong woman,” she added. “The way I look at it, I’m the voice of my mother. She can’t speak now.”
