Daughters lose their mothers. Parents bury their children. Siblings grow up with a hole that never heals. Every time someone grabs their keys after a drink, it’s not just a crash — it’s a lifetime of heartbreak left behind.
“I sadly lost my mother because of drunk driving,” said Solora Vaillancourt, who was 10 years old at the time of her mother’s fatal crash.
Ashley Marie Vaillancourt was killed in a single-vehicle rollover crash on July 9, 2022, when the car she was riding in left York Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake after a wedding, struck a culvert and landed on its roof, says a Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada July 9 news release.
She was trapped in the passenger seat and pronounced dead at the scene. Her spouse, Brandon Joseph Rioux, was charged on July 15, 2022, with impaired driving causing death and having a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit.
Today, on the anniversary of the crash, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada — a non-profit organization that works to prevent impaired driving and support crash victims — unveiled a roadside memorial sign on York Road in honour of 34-year-old Ashley Marie.
Family, friends, Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa and Niagara Regional Police Chief Bill Fordy gathered at the crash site, across from 1870 York Rd., to remember her and raise awareness.
“She was so full of life,” said Ashley Marie’s mother, Darlene Jones.
“When you lose a spirit like that over stupidity, it’s just wasteful. It’s just nonsense.”
Jones said if Ashley Marie were here today, she’d want her to know that her story is helping raise awareness and possibly save lives. “Ashley was totally against drunk driving,” she said.
Solora said losing her mother changed her outlook completely.
“My life is a lot different,” she said.
Now, Solora speaks up when others have been drinking and are planning to drive, even if it’s a friend’s parent, she said. She refuses rides from anyone who has had alcohol and has become passionate about the message behind the non-profit.
“I’m really now invested,” she said.
When Solora was asked what she thought her mom would think of the new memorial sign, she said, “I think she would be very grateful for all the appreciation she’s getting and how we’re honouring her life.”
“I’m 100 per cent sure she’s smiling down at us.”
The sign also sends a powerful message about the consequences of impaired driving, Solora said.
“I’m overjoyed and sad at the same time.”
In a region known for wine tourism, it’s all the more important to be mindful, says Dawn Regan, chief operating officer of the non-profit.
“To us, separating the acts of drinking from driving, or using drugs and driving, is the best plan,” she said.
Regan called the sign a “true tribute to the family” that delivers a strong message.
“You see that sign — maybe that makes you think twice,” she said.
The memorial was requested by the family, Regan said. “What a beautiful way to memorialize their loved one.”
Jones urged others to reconsider getting behind the wheel impaired: Call a cab. Get a room. Walk home. Sober up.
“But don’t drive. Please,” she said. “It’s not worth it.”
