Red Earth Creek, Alta., family mourns mother, daughter killed in head-on collision

February 13, 2025 Canuck

A grieving family in northwestern Alberta is asking witnesses to contact RCMP to help in the investigation of a head-on highway collision that killed a mother and daughter.

Corinne Marybelle Fitzgerald, 49, and Meagan Carissa Briand, 33, a mother of two young children, died Sunday near their community of Red Earth Creek.

Both women were civilian members of the Red Earth Creek RCMP detachment.

Two people in the other vehicle also died. At the time of the crash, police were on the lookout for that vehicle, which had been the subject of complaints about impaired driving.

RCMP told CBC that DNA testing is underway to confirm their identities.

Ricky Fitzgerald told CBC News his sister Corinne and niece Meagan were attached at the hip since birth, and one of them was always with Meagan’s kids: Aliyah, 10 and Brody or “bro bro,” eight.

He said Briand was a rock who held the family together, lighting up a room with her infectious laugh and smile, and there was nothing she wouldn’t do for her children.

His sister, Fitzgerald said, was the first one there for you and worshipped her grandchildren.

“We are struggling hard with losing both of them so suddenly and two beautiful little kids left behind without the two most important people in their lives — our hearts are breaking for them,” Fitzgerald wrote in a message to CBC News.

“We are mad, sad at a loss and then sometimes it just doesn’t seem real.”

An online fundraiser set up in the children’s name had collected $7,000 by Wednesday afternoon.

The tragedy also hits close to home for the Red Earth Creek community, about 420 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, with a population of 315.

Both women worked at the local RCMP detachment for four years. Briand was an administrator on the front desk and Fitzgerald was the lead guard of the cell block.

“They brought joy to the detachment all the time,” RCMP Const. Julie-Ann Strilaiff said.

“It’s just devastating because we have to go to work and know who they are, and especially after trying life-saving on the two of them — they were wonderful women”

RCMP constable standing in front of RCMP flags. — Const. Julie-Ann Strilaiff says Meagan Carissa Briand and Corinne Marybelle Fitzgerald brought joy to the RCMP detachment where they worked. (Submitted by RCMP)

She said several witnesses have already spoken to investigators but RCMP hope to speak with anyone who witnessed the crash, the events leading up to it, or witnessed the driving behaviour of the second vehicle.

“We’re still gathering as much as we possibly can to be able to have the most accurate information,” Strilaiff said.

She said first responders are receiving support from victim services, which is also helping the family and community members struggling with the deaths.

Fitzgerald said they appreciate the overwhelming amount of support the family has received at this difficult time.

“The support and kind words our family is receiving from our community of Red Earth Creek and our hometowns back in Cape Breton, and all across Canada for that matter has been so helpful to us all in dealing with this sudden tragedy put upon our family,” Fitzgerald said.

“We can’t say thank you enough.”

View original article here Source