Wendy Savord, mother of Melanie Savord, talks about the effect her daughter's death in a motor vehicle collision, has had on the family. Behind her is her brother Tim Gignac, and Const. Rick Tass of the Ontario Provincial Police North Bay detachment.
Wendy Savord, mother of Melanie Savord, talks about the effect her daughter's death in a motor vehicle collision, has had on the family. Behind her is her brother Tim Gignac, and Const. Rick Tass of the Ontario Provincial Police North Bay detachment. Supt. Ken Miller, operations director for the OPP North East region, sits in the foreground. Photo submitted courtesy of the OPP.
The Ontario government has offered a $25,000 reward to try to obtain more information about a multi-vehicle collision on Hwy 17 July 21, 2005, that left three people dead.
Fifteen-year-old Melanie Savord, of North Bay, died in the accident, as did her cousins Kimberly Oancia, 40, and Oancia's husband Brian Dugas, 37, both of Sudbury.
“Every day I relive the moment the OPP came to our door to give us the news that would change our lives forever,” Savord’s mother Wendy said during a news conference today announcing the reward.
“Our family is suffering. And why? Because of one driver’s behaviour. We would like to see this driver identified. No, this won’t bring our loved ones back, but perhaps it would lend some sense of closure to this tragic ordeal.”
Ontario Provincial Police officers from the North Bay detachment have been investigating the accident.
Supt. Ken Miller said he hopes even the smallest piece of information can help.
“In most investigations as soon as you add some incentive, it usually provides information,” Miller said.
“If someone from the public gives us one little piece it might just connect the dots to a bigger piece that’s very informative to us and moves us ahead in this investigation.”
The accident took place on Hwy 17 approximately 12 miles west of North Bay.
Dugas was driving a silver Hyundai westbound the day of the accident, with Savord and Oancia as passengers.
Investigators were told by witnesses that the Hyundai swerved to avoid a green van travelling eastbound in the westbound lane. A third vehicle smashed into the Hyundai as it took evasive action.
The alleged green van stopped when the collision occurred, police said, and subsequently drove off.
Police said they are looking for a dark green minivan similar to a Ford Windstar.
“We’ve got no idea who the person is, don’t know the vehicle, don’t know if they were just travelling through from New Brunswick to BC, we don’t know,” Miller said.
“We’re hoping it is a vehicle from the Ontario-Quebec area and somebody will be able to provide us with information that will allow us to move forward.”
Miller hopes the driver of the van may also be suffering from a guilty conscience about the accident.
“I hope the person is having difficulty with what has occurred and chooses to come forward or has spoken to somebody and that person comes forward and tells us what they’ve heard or what they know,” Miller said.
Savord said "our beautiful daughter" would have turned 16 Dec. 23.
“She had such a bright future stolen from her and we miss her so much,” Savord said.
“Our loss has been so unbearably painful it’s difficult to go on.”
