Members of Winnipeg's music community are mourning the loss of a talented drummer and father of two daughters.
Casey Donaldson was riding a bicycle when he was killed Tuesday in a hit-and-run collision on Nairn Avenue.
While the driver has been charged with impaired driving, the crash has raised safety concerns among cyclists.
Friend and former bandmate Nelson Little spoke highly of Donaldson’s musical talents.
A country, blues and rock drummer, he said Donaldson had the ability to step out from behind his drum kit to take the microphone and even play guitar.
"He could play and sing for you all night, probably knew 100, 200 songs," said Little.
Donaldson often performed at the Royal George Hotel in Transcona with several different bands.
The 38-year-old father of two daughters worked as a groundskeeper at the Manitoba Legislative Building.
Little said he got news of Donaldson’s death hours after the crash.
"It's setting in over the days,” he said. “I think you just take all the good memories and filter those."
Donaldson was on his way home to Transcona at around 1 a.m. when the collision happened.
He and another man were riding their bikes in the eastbound curb lane on Nairn Avenue when Donaldson was hit by a motorist driving a dark-coloured Subaru.
Cycling instructor Dave Elmore said Donaldson's death has left people who commute on bicycles shaken.
"It discourages people and it scares people," said Elmore.
Elmore said Winnipeg needs better infrastructure to separate people on bicycles from people driving cars.
When it comes to sharing the road, he said more respect for each other and more education is needed for both cyclists and motorists to prevent deaths.
"Without question, it's both sides that need to understand, basically understand the rules of the road,” said Elmore.
The driver, who left the scene of the collision, turned himself in to police several hours later.
Kyle Genereux, 24, has been charged with impaired driving causing death, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and failing to stop at the scene of an accident involving death.
