Nearly 1,000 motorists gathered in Selkirk to honour a young man killed along with his girlfriend on a motorcycle last week.
Jared Youzwa and Ngan Nguyen were killed when the motorcycle they were riding collided with a van on July 12.
“He was thoughtful guy, loves people, and I love him too, and I miss him,” said Jared’s cousin Ruth Melnyk.
The couple was on the way to a family wedding in Saskatchewan when their motorcycle collided with a van on the highway near Brandon.
Nearly 1,000 bikes and custom vehicles formed a chain on the way to Youzwa’s funeral. “(We) wanted it loud enough so Jared could hear us from heaven. It was pretty loud,” said friend Sean Hilder.
Youzwa made many friends working for the family business, a custom shop. Friends said he was an experienced rider with an extensive knowledge of motorcycles and the tragedy has hit the biking community hard.
I've had a few close calls,” said Hilder. “The thing about Jared, he always wore a helmet, always wore protective gear, always rode properly.”
With four motorcyle deaths this year, RCMP said Manitoba has already hit the annual average of motorcycle fatalities. Youzwa’s family said they want something positive to come from this loss.
“Watch the bikers, when the people are driving, watch the bikers,” said Melnyk.
The crash is still under investigation.
- With a report by Alesia Fieldberg
