Ottawa Personal Injury Lawyer , Ontario Car Accident Attorney David Hollingsworth …What is going on in Ottawa?  This Ottawa accident is tragic and seems avoidable…My thoughts go out to the family and friends of Alex Hayes..It sounds like Alex was such a nice , good kid…I’m truly sorry for the loss of such a young man, still a boy… 

Greely is reeling in the wake of a hit-and-run incident that killed a 16-year-old grocery store employee on Sept. 9.

Alex Hayes was killed when he was struck by a driver on Bank Street, just south of Mitch Owens Road, as he was biking home from his shift at MacKinnon’s Foodland.

Hayes left the store shortly after 9 p.m. and was hit by a car minutes later.

Police found the driver, Samira Daoud, 40, of Ottawa at approximately 9:30 p.m. Although they couldn’t confirm whether or not she told them about hitting Hayes, police didn’t discover his body until 12:10 p.m. the next morning.

“The rest would be part of the investigation,” Ottawa police Const. J.P. Vincelette said.

An autopsy has been conducted to see if Hayes died on impact, however Vincelette would not comment on the results. 

Daoud is charged with 13 offences, including criminal negligence causing death, impaired driving, failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing death, possessing a stolen car, driving with a suspended license, and breach of probation.

She appeared in court on Sept. 11 and was remanded in custody until Sept. 17.

As the community awaits Daoud’s fate, they continue to mourn the loss of a determined young man.

Bouquets of flowers next to a makeshift memorial continued to grow at the entrance of the store since the Hayes’s death. There is roadside display at the crash site as well.

Blair MacKinnon, the store’s co-owner, hired Hayes six months ago when he was looking for co-op work.

MacKinnon was so impressed with Hayes’s work ethic and attitude that he hired him after his second day on the job.

“If I had three or four of him it would be perfect,” he said. “I’d clone him if I could.

“He’d take you up and down the aisle if you needed anything. He’d help anyone.”

Not only was Hayes the model employee, but he tried to help his family in any way too.

The Ottawa Technical Learning Centre student took a trip to Cuba just before the end of August and, although the trip was cheaper because he went offseason, he paid for his mother, Penny, and one of his brothers to go too.

“He always had a smile on his face,” MacKinnon said. “He never bitched and complained. He once worked three straight weeks, eight hours a day. Never said a word.”

Over 200 people attended the wake on Sept. 17, most were students from Hayes’s school plus others from nearby St. Mark Catholic High School and Osgoode Township High School.

An Alex Hayes Trust Fund was also set up, which raised $20,000 in the first four days.

McKinnon, who knows Penny through her work, presented her wall the donations at the wake.

“She was crying,” he said, “but she said they were tears of joy.”

All employees at Foodland had the word “Alex” written on their work shirts on Sept. 17 in remembrance of their friend, some with a message to support Mothers Against Drunk Driving – a reference to the charge of impaired driving against the accused.

MacKinnon said many customers who’ve come into the store to speak with him about Alex, and the incident itself, feel drinking and driving punishments are too lenient.

MacKinnon largely agreed.

“I could shoot you in the face and get 25 years (in jail) or run you over while drunk and get two,” he said. “What would you rather do?”

While not wanting to comments on the specifics of an incident that’s before the courts, Nepean-Carleton M.P. Pierre Poilievre said the government is doing its best to crack down on impaired drivers.

“Our government is working to give the tools to police officers so they can tackle the problem of drunk driving,” he said. “We continually remind all motorists that drinking and driving do not go together and that there are many other alternative to getting into a vehicle when you’ve had too much to drink.”

MacKinnon said he plans to bring in a counsellor to the store on Sept. 24 to give all his employees a chance to grieve.

“We’re going to shut the doors and give everyone a chance to cry it out,” he said.

And judging by his own feelings, he knows it will be hard.

“We’re going to miss him, there’s no two ways about it,” MacKinnon said with a tear in his eye. “I miss him already.”

 In Ottawa, a 40-year-old woman made a brief court appearance Saturday morning. She was in court after a teen riding a bicycle and sadly was struck and killed by in an Ottawa car accident Thursday. Daoud was dressed in a blue top, had her hair in a bun, and appeared tired. Previous to Saturday’s court appearance, Daoud had already lost her licence for impaired driving. The charges against Samira Mohamed Daoud include criminal negligence causing death, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, drunk driving and possession of a stolen vehicle. In the hit-and-run on south Bank Street, 16-year-old Alex Hayes was hit as he rode his bicycle home from a shift at MacKinnon’s Foodland in Greely. Police got a call from family members late Thursday reporting Hayes missing. Officers found Hayes’ bike on the side of the road in the 5700 block of Bank Street at 12:10 a.m. Friday. His dead body was found nearby. Ottawa Police have not said whether Hayes was wearing a helmet or whether his bike was equipped with lights and reflectors.

Earlier Thursday evening, not far from the Foodland grocery store, Christa Charron says a woman erratically driving a truck with Alberta licence plates forced her to move into another lane. The woman was driving north on Bank Street toward Mitch Owens Road. Charron tried to follow the speeding truck, but couldn’t keep up. Cars pulled to the side of the road to avoid being hit by the erratic driver, she said. Charron later spotted the woman again on Leitrim Road, where she turned south into the northbound lane on Bank Street. When the driver was arrested, Charron says she saw a half empty two-litre bottle of wine between the two front seats. Charron said she also noticed that one of the headlights of the truck, which was working when she first saw the vehicle in her rear view mirror, was burned out and the side of the truck was damaged. “It just seemed so obvious. I put two and two together,” Charron said. “I wish I could have stopped it. I tried. I wanted to stop her from killing someone because she was driving so fast.” Charron was still visibly upset on Friday afternoon as she recounted the events that unfolded the night before .“This drinking and driving happens so easy,” she said, holding back tears. “People shouldn’t do it. It’s terrible, you know? It’s not right.”

Several employees at the grocery store were distraught on Friday after learning that Hayes had been killed. Some called in sick because they were too upset to work. “I was in shock this morning when I heard it was him,” said Blair MacKinnon, the grocery store’s owner. “I couldn’t believe it actually.” MacKinnon said Hayes was familiar with the route he took home, almost always riding his bike to and from work. His mother, a part-time employee at the LCBO attached to the grocery store, drove him to work when it rained or snowed. Carrie Longlade, the grocery store’s night shift supervisor, received a call from Hayes’ father looking for his son several hours after he was scheduled to finish work Thursday night. Longlade said Hayes had left around 9 p.m., just as she arrived at work. “He said, ‘I guess I have some more phone calls to make,’” Longlade said. “(He was) concerned, worried.” MacKinnon said the young man worked stocking shelves and helping customers. Hayes was described as a reliable worker, took shifts from people who wanted time off and often agreed to come in when he wasn’t scheduled to work. A photo of Hayes from a recent family trip to Cuba with the words “Please support MADD” written underneath was posted on the front door of the grocery store Friday.

The scene at the Ottawa Technical Learning Centre, where Hayes was a student, was just as sombre. On Friday, students came out of the school at lunch time in tears. Several consoled each other as they smoked cigarettes on the sidewalk in front of the school. Hayes had a girlfriend who came to school Friday morning. She wasn’t able to make it through the day and went home.  Hayes always had a smile on his face no matter how difficult his life became. “I will tell you that I will miss him a lot,” the family member said. “He was a great kid. He was always willing to help. And was a very hard worker, too.”The family member said Hayes was very helpful. He did gardening and installed patio stones when he could have been hanging out with friend. The woman’s eldest daughter has been hit hard by the news of her cousin’s death. The daughter often hung out with her cousin and will fondly remember a trip they took together to the Maritimes and their grandfather’s cottage.

Source: The Ottawa Citizen

Ottawa Ontario Personal Injury Lawyer David Hollingsworth has been helping Ottawa and Ontario accident victims since 1999. With his extensive experience and knowledge of relevant accident and personal injury issues, he has recovered millions of dollars in settlements  on behalf of his personal injury clients. David has the experience and skill to obtain maximum compensation for his personal injury clients. David offers free consultations and makes  home visits or hospital visits. Visit www.ottawainjury.ca for more information. David understands, he cares and he is here to help.

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