RIP Dave Firenze

[Kraig]

This was the on the front page of The Province today... Dave wasn't someone who I would call a close friend, but definitely a friend from the party scene back in the day that I've partied with a lot.

If anything I'm posting this to create a sense of awareness and just how quickly ones life can change or ultimately in this case, be taken away.

Family mourns man's tragic death
Tragedy parallels 1998 crash triggered by same exit error

David Carrigg
The Province

Monday, January 24, 2005

David Firenze's family and friends gathered yesterday to mourn the loss of the young man killed in a head-on collision eerily similar to another deadly crash in the same spot six years ago.

Firenze, 23, was returning to the family's North Vancouver home at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday, after visiting his girlfriend, when his BMW was struck head-on by a Toyota 4WD being driven eastbound in the westbound lane of the Upper Levels Highway by a suspected drunk driver.

Firenze was killed instantly. The 25-year-old Burnaby woman whose car struck his was taken to Lions Gate Hospital with minor injuries.

"I haven't just lost my brother, I've lost my best friend and my business partner," said Carmelo Firenze, David's brother and only sibling.

"I'm completely lost without him now. He comes from a very close Italian family and we are feeling it very deeply.

"He always made people smile and was very positive."

Carmelo said his brother, a graduate of Carson Graham Secondary school, was full of life and ambitious. The pair worked together as financial planners in Vancouver.

Const. Bryan Fedirchuk of the Port Mann RCMP Highway Patrol said the accident is still under investigation, but added: "It does appear alcohol was a factor."

The driver who caused the crash has a record of drinking and driving, said one police source.

North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Tom Seaman said police are awaiting the results of a blood sample taken from the woman at hospital and no charges have yet been laid.

"If somebody is impaired, they could be going up Lonsdale and miss the proper turnoff and go over the overpass and then turn right onto the west exit," Seaman said. "That's what this woman did last Thursday and it's happened before."

The accident occurred at the top of the Upper Levels Cut near the Lynn Valley Road exit -- almost exactly where an accident under similar circumstances took place in December 1998.

In both cases, a female driver took the wrong exit off Lonsdale Avenue and drove eastbound in the westbound lane for 11/2 kilometres before slamming into a westbound car.

In the 1998 case, Patricia Goethals, was found to have been impaired when she headed the wrong way. She suffered minor injuries and was later jailed for 18 months.

The crash killed Marlisse Annette Richards, 34, a married mother of two who was returning home from work when her vehicle was struck. She died instantly.

Goethals had been curling at the North Shore Winter Club, left at 11 p.m. and was not seen again until the accident at 2:30 a.m. She had no memory of the accident.

Richards' family lobbied for a jail sentence for Goethals.

The Firenze family said it doesn't want to comment on Thursday's fatal crash because it's still under investigation.

There have been other crashes on the Upper Levels caused by motorists going the wrong way.

- In April 2003, a 72-year-old West Vancouver woman terrified oncoming motorists by driving the wrong way for six kilometres before hitting another car head-on at the Eagleridge interchange. The woman entered the highway off 22nd Street, about 10 kilometres east of Lonsdale. Alcohol was not a factor.

- In April 1996, a drunk woman drove her pickup the wrong way for seven kilometres before slamming into a truck driven by a 22-year-old West Vancouver man near the Caulfeild exit. Both drivers were killed.

[wum]

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[mojo]

.rip.

[rawb]

I went to grade school with Dave and he was a excellent artist as well as a casual friend to me. He sat across the row from me in grade 7, came to a couple of birthday parties, i think we got in a fistfight once playing foursquare or bounce.

Growing up young Dave went through a lot of tough times with his mom being very ill much of his life. When my own mother got ill i would often think about Dave and how he handled it at such a young age, and that helped me cope a bit.

I saw Dave again at Fashad's birthday after about 8 or 9 years, he had grown into a very positive, happy guy. Out of the blue he recognzied me and we talked for a bit about house music and how we were living. Throughout the summer we would see one another in passing and wave from our cars or chat for a while. We were casual aquaintences and he was always happy and cheerful, he seemed to be doing genuinely well and it was nice to see another person from my hood make good.

When i read the news yesterday in the north shore paper (he's on the front page of the province today) it really made me sad. We weren't close but Dave's death just seems too needless, especially for someone who's overcome so much.

I was going to post something but i held off it. RIP Dave.

[Kraig]

Much the same situation with me Rawb although I've only known him for the past 5 years or so.

FYI that the funeral is this Friday at 10AM... I will try and find out where if you want to know.

Peace.