The widowed wife of an Airdrie man killed by an alleged impaired driver while riding his motorcycle last summer is expressing her sympathy toward the family of the late woman accused of killing her husband.
According to Calgary media reports, all charges against Mountain View County resident Ashley Evans, who was 25 when she was initially charged, were dropped last week after she was confirmed deceased by the Crown. The cause of death was not released.
Airdrie resident Matt Forseth died when Evans’ pick-up truck lost control and struck his motorcycle on June 27, 2021. The RCMP investigation at the time indicated her pick-up truck was travelling southbound on Highway 22 near Range Road 43 in Mountain View County when it attempted to pass a van, hitting an SUV that was travelling northbound. The truck then rolled multiple times into oncoming northbound traffic, eventually colliding with two motorcycles that were travelling northbound.
The driver of the SUV was treated for minor injuries on the scene, while the passenger was uninjured. According to the RCMP press release after the incident, the operator of the second motorcycle was treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Evans was later charged with impaired driving causing death, failure to stop after an accident resulting in death, and operating a motor vehicle over the legal limit.
“I am super-sad for (Evans) family because we have been living with a loss for the last 15 months now,” said Airdrie’s Aimee Forseth, whose husband Matt was killed in the incident. “So we understand and we know what it is like. It is a terrible, sad story and situation that ended this way.”
Forseth said she hopes something positive can come out of these horrible circumstances.
“I honestly just wish people would learn from this tragedy, and not drink and drive,” she stated. “We obviously know Ashley didn’t wake up one day with intent to cause harm or hurt anybody. Bad decisions happen. I just really hope there can be some hero story out of the loss of Matt’s life that people just stop drinking and driving.”
While it has been a tremendously difficult year, Forseth said one bright light has been the community support she and her family have received.
“We did have a lot of support when it all happened,” Forseth confirmed. “It was comforting and it was much-needed at the time; absolutely.”
A GoFundMe campaign started in the aftermath of the tragedy ended up raising just over $8,500 to help Forseth and her three daughters, Brooklynn, Cheyenne and Phoenyx.
—With files from Lauryn Heintz/Airdrie City View
