New Kenmount Road intersection relief to family who lost son in drunk-driving crash

It will only move a few metres, but the new location of a long-dangerous intersection on Kenmount Road in St. John's will have a monumental impact for the family of a young man whose death helped trigger the change.

Nick Coates, 27, died in 2013 after his motorcycle slammed into a pickup truck that a drunk driver had pulled out of Polina Road.

Hopefully no one else will have to bury their loved one due to some sort of road crash.- Patricia Hynes-Coates

"It kind of symbolizes a new beginning," said Patricia Hynes-Coates, who was so galvanized by her stepson's death that she became president of MADD Canada (formerly known as Mothers Against Drunk Driving) two years ago.

The City of St. John's has begun work redesigning the intersection at Polina and Kemount, transforming it into a four-way stop. A three-way stop nearby, which is a major access to the Avalon Mall, is being relocated.

For Hynes-Coates, alcohol was not the only factor in her stepson's death.

Hynes-Coates and others have campaigned for a safer design to solve what has been often described as a dangerous stretch of a busy four-lane roadway.

"Nicholas's was the most horrific that we're aware of," she said. "There's been a lot of crashes that have happened here due to inappropriate traffic violations Making this change is very important."

Couple aiming to build monument

Hynes-Coates believes moving the traffic lights will discourage drivers on Polina Road from taking chances at the Kenmount Road intersection. Polina Road is a primary access to a subdivision.

"Hopefully once these changes are made then this intersection will be safer and no one else will have to bury their loved one due to some sort of road crash," said Hynes-Coates, speaking near the scene of the collision that took Nick Coates's life.

Ronald Thistle was convicted of impaired driving in the collision, and was sentenced to two years in jail.

Hynes-Coates and her husband, Terry Coates, are campaigning to allow a memorial to be erected at the scene of the crash.

Similar roadside memorials exist across Canada, and feature the MADD red ribbon and logo as well as the name of the individual that lost their life.

"Our hope is that the powers that be government and the City of St. John's will be willing to erect a memorial monument here that will symbolize the dangers of impaired driving, and of course honour Nicholas's life, such as we've done on this pole over the last several years," she said.

Road work is expected to continue on the Kenmount Road intersection until the fall. Drivers have been warned to expect delays.