Two loving parents and an ever-smiling aunt were the victims of a car crash on Christmas Eve that left the Logozar family of Foisy reeling, even while they concentrate on eight-month-old Aleera and her recovery as the sole survivor of the accident.
Isacc Logozar, 22, his sister, Cassandra, 20, and his partner, Michelle Driedger, 20, had been enjoying a Christmas holiday party at the Edmonton home of Isacc and Cassandra's aunt Margaretjean. “All the immediate family was there. We had a great time," Margaretjean recalled.
Afterwards, the three set off back to the family farm in Foisy, along with Isacc and Michelle's daughter, Aleera. But poor weather and road conditions along Highway 855 travelling north of Mundare are believed to have caused Cassandra to lose control of the vehicle and slide sideways into the oncoming lane, colliding with a one tonne pickup truck, with Two Hills and Vegreville RCMP dispatched to the scene at 11:30 p.m.
Although all three were wearing seatbelts, the three adults died on scene. Aleera survived the accident, secured in her carseat, but sustained injuries including broken ribs, broken legs, a broken arm and a broken collarbone and was airlifted to the University of Alberta Hospital for treatment. The pickup driver escaped without injury.
Margaretjean said her brother was following half an hour behind when he came upon the accident scene and recognized the car. There he heard reports on the ground that three people had died while a baby had survived, according to Margaretjean. “They called us right away to tell us that their babies were killed."
The family wanted to point out the accident was nobody's fault, said Margaretjean, adding, “We want to express our concern, our sympathy for the driver of the truck." Every time he passes the road, he would likely remember the accident, but no blame rested with him, she stressed.
For Margaretjean, there are many good things to remember about her niece and nephew, such as Isacc's sense of humour or Cassandra's big smile –going through old pictures, it's hard to find a single picture without Cassanadra wearing an ear-splitting grin, she notes. Cassandra's Facebook bio paints the picture of a girl who loved school, her horse and life in general. “I like playing basketball in the rain with my friends . . . and I've embraced the kid in me by going to play in the park at least once a week," she writes.
But those memories are hard to talk about for Margaretjean right now without choking up.
Isacc and Michelle had been living in Fort Saskatchewan, but the couple had given up the lease on their apartment and had been planning to move back to Foisy to be closer to Isacc's parents, Darrell and Michelle, and the farm. “He wanted to come home, to have their children grow up with his Gido, like he grew up with his Gido."
With Isacc having two brothers, the dream was to have all the sons working on a “big family farm," said Margaretjean, adding that Cassandra was also interested in farming, and was taking Agristudies at college. “She wanted to be part of that."
That dream was cut short by their tragic demise on the stretch of road between Foisy and Edmonton. But in the wake of the deaths, Margaretjean found there was an outpouring of support from family and friends in the area.
“I think my brother has great neighbours," she said.
Darrell had been renovating his parents' old house to move into so that Isacc and Michelle could move into the then vacated trailer. After the accident, family and friends pitched in with the renovations of the house, doing things such as painting, laying down new flooring and fixing up the bathroom.
Family friend Carol Taschuk said that when they heard about the accident, it was a shock, but she and her husband Kevin immediately said to one another, “We have to do something to help them out."
At any given time, there could be up to 20 people helping out in the house, so that when Darrell and Michelle come home with Aleera, of whom they have interim custody, everything's done and they can breathe a little easier, Taschuk said.
She said St. Paul Co-op deserved thanks, having donated drywall and baseboards to the renovations; Home Depot has also offered help.
It was important for Taschuk to help out in some way, since her kids had grown up with Isacc and Cassandra. “They were my kids' best friends," she said. When Taschuk heard about the accident, her immediate question was, 'Why did it have to be those three?' She too will always remember Cassandra's ever-smiling face, remembering, “She had a hug for everybody."
One thing is certain, as Taschuk says - “They're going to be missed."
Baby's survival 'a Christmas miracle'
Despite the tragedy that claimed the lives of three members of the Logozar family, family members took solace in the fact eight-month-old Aleera, secured in her car seat, survived. Aleera's parents, Isacc Logozar and Michelle Driedger, and her aunt, Cassandra Logozar, all died when their car collided with an oncoming vehicle on the night of Christmas Eve. Aleera's great-aunt Margaretjean Logozar agrees with media reports pegging Aleera's survival as a miracle. “That's exactly what she is – a Christmas miracle." If Aleera were to be covered with a blanket, despite the broken ribs, two broken legs, a broken arm and a broken collarbone, one wouldn't even realize she'd been in an accident, with the bruising fading less than a week after the accident, she said. “It's actually incredible how quickly babies recover." Aleera was a girl that had brightened the whole family's life, according to Margaretjean, who felt Aleera was a great thing for Isacc, and that it matured him. “He was a great, great dad." On the night of Aleera's birth, family friend Carol Taschuk said that a thrilled Isacc called her daughter, saying, “You're an aunt and I'm a dad!" Her daughter came back with “Who the heck are you?" not recognizing Isacc in his new role as a father. “That baby was the life of that whole family," recalled Taschuk. Now Taschuk feels that Aleera will give Darrell and Michelle Logozar, her grandparents, “something to look forward to," as they have interim custody of her. "I think it's going to be a healing process for them." Aleera was released from hospital last week, but she will need to be taken to Edmonton for follow-up care of her injuries. "God was protecting that one, that's for sure," said Taschuk.
