'We are dead inside': Winnipeg mother of 3 lost to alleged drunk driver
A Winnipeg family is in mourning after a mother of three was killed by an alleged drunk driver last week.
Akech Machuor, 43, died after being struck by a red Audi A4 while crossing the street in St. Vital around 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 26.
"She was taking her son to the YMCA, and on her way back home she was hit by a vehicle at the corner of Fermor and St. Mary's," said Maciek Mark, Machuor's cousin.
Mark said Machuor did have the right-of-way while crossing at the green light, but the driver of the Audi ran the red light.
The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said the car fled the scene after hitting Machuor.
Police were able to track down the 25-year-old suspect in the 1000 block of Beaverhill Blvd. He faces several charges, including impaired driving, and dangerous operation of a conveyance causing death. The charges have not been tested in court.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) continues to raise awareness about the dangers of driving impaired. Winnipeg chapter president Trevor Ens said it's about making good choices.
"It's about planning ahead, so you're not putting yourself in that position where at the end of the night you’ve had too many or you've ingested cannabis and you're having to make that decision," he said. "Because you're already in a bad frame of mind at that point."
Ens says there are more options than ever for getting a ride home, including ride-sharing service, calling a cab or a friend, or even using a private service to drive you and your car home similar to Operation Red Nose.
Mark said Machuor had just finished her second day of work at her new job that Tuesday. She had lived in Canada for nearly 19 years, having moved here from Kenya in 2004.
"She got a job as a health care aide. Single parent, she raised her kids then she went back to school, completed her high school diploma and applied for health care aide training," Mark said.
His family is devastated by the loss.
"The family are shocked. The family are dead inside. I don't have the words to describe it, we are dead inside."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Global Affairs reports Canadian killed in Lebanon in connection with Israel-Hamas war
Global Affairs is reporting the death of another Canadian due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. This is the ninth casualty connected to Canada.
This Canadian couple used surrogacy to have a child. Here's what they want you to know
Families that need help conceiving a child are met with financial burdens that should be covered through government health care and insurance, advocates say.
From COVID-19 to alien contact, conspiracy theories are popular in Canada: survey
The Earth is flat. We have been secretly contacted by intelligent beings from other planets. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did not land on the moon in 1969. They may sound like bizarre statements, but a new poll suggests a sizable number of Canadians believe in these and other conspiracy theories.
Renowned Quebec entrepreneur, partner reported dead in Caribbean
Quebec entrepreneur Daniel Langlois and his spouse Dominique Marchand have died in their adopted home of Dominica, in the Caribbean, a source has confirmed.
Renowned Canadian musician and former April Wine singer Myles Goodwyn dead at 75
Myles Goodwyn, the award-winning Canadian singer and songwriter who shot to stardom as the former lead singer of April Wine, has died at age 75.
Backlash continues following Moncton’s decision to not display the Menorah this year
Outrage seen from the community and across the country online after the news broke Friday that the City of Moncton would not display the Menorah this year.
Canada issues updated travel advisory for Guyana amid border dispute referendum in Venezuela
Amid a referendum that will see Venezuelans asked about the future of a chunk of neighbouring Guyana that Venezuela currently claims ownership over, Canada has adjusted its travel advisory to warn against travelling in Guyana near the border.
Another inmate dead at notoriously harsh Newfoundland jail, officials confirm
An inmate has died at Her Majesty's Penitentiary in Newfoundland, one of the oldest operating provincial jails in the country, officials with the provincial Justice Department confirmed.
Commercial ships hit by missiles in Houthi attack in Red Sea, U.S. warship downs 3 drones
Ballistics missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships Sunday in the Red Sea, while a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defence during the hourslong assault, the U.S. military said. The Iranian-backed Houthis claimed two of the attacks.