Second teen dies after crash
Woman may face new impaired driving charges
Asecond person has died following a twovehicle crash near Red Deer last weekend that is being blamed on drunk driving.
RCMP confirmed the second person, who had been in critical condition, died from his injuries.
Tyson Vanderzwaag, 18, died Friday morning at Foothills Hospital in Calgary.
It was the second death as a result of the crash in the early hours of March 31.
About 3:30 a.m. the occupants of a car being driven on Highway 11A, about eight kilometres west of Red Deer, encountered mechanical problems.
The five people in the car got out and had started to push it when it was hit by an eastbound Ford Focus.
Colton Keeler, 19, was pro- nounced dead at the scene. His funeral is scheduled for today.
His father, Darren Keeler, said the news Friday reopened some of the wounds from the crash.
“I know how they feel and if anything, theirs has probably been worse because they just watched their son die,” Keeler said. “Colton died instantly; he didn’t suffer. Tyson has suffered. He fought like hell.”
Darren Keeler said on the night of the crash, the teenagers had been at a party in Sylvan Lake. There were two carloads of people, with both cars having designated drivers.
“There were three other kids in the car that night and they are just tore up,” Keeler said. “They’ve seen something they should never have to view.”
One of the other three passengers suffered minor injuries and is now walking with a noticeable limp, Keeler said.
With drunk driving charges laid in the case, Keeler said he was angry with the choices made that night.
“We said that we hate the decisions that have been made. We hate what had happened . . . but we don’t hate (the other driver), we don’t know who she is,” Keeler said. “This has affected two whole families and hundreds of people in the community.”
Colton’s family, which in- cludes two younger brothers, is “holding up.”
“We went and viewed the body yesterday because we haven’t seen him,” Keeler said. “It was hard, but it gave us some peace. . . . It gave us some closure.”
April Gail Beauclair, 29, of Lacombe is facing six charges in connection with the crash, including impaired driving causing death. The charges will probably be modified, RCMP said. She suffered minor injuries.