Suspected drunk driver claims a life

This Thanksgiving holiday has been a tragic one in St. Catharines. We’re learning more tonight about the woman who was hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver Saturday. 61-year old Mary Martin was making a routine run to the grocery store when it happened. Martin is the second pedestrian in St. Catharines to be killed by a driver that police believe was impaired in just a few months.

Mary Martin was simply walking back home from a trip to Sobeys about 8:30 Saturday night. She was on the west side of Niagara Street, just a couple of blocks from her house when she was struck by a pickup speeding down the street.

Mary was thrown into a fence. She died at the scene.

Mary Ann Edwards was devastated by the news. She’s known Mary Martin since childhood and they’ve been neighbours for years: “Just a woman who would go by. How are you doing? Walk by with the grandchildren picking up chestnuts. We’d have brief conversations. One of those people you instantly liked. She wasn’t a show off. She was Mary.”

Mary Martin was an inside worker at Canada Post. She used to be a letter carrier. Friends say she was in great shape and would walk as often as she could.

Martin left be hind three daughters. Jillian, Jessica and Janice.

Mary Ann Edwards: And I remember years ago how devastated I was when her husband passed from cancer. So life wasn’t that easy from then on. But for something like this to happen — what can anyone say.”

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. In July, 69-year old Betty Taylor was killed on home from her house. She was struck by a pick-up truck driven by a man police say was heavily intoxicated. It jumped the sidewalk and pushed her through a store window.

A 30-year old Brampton man was charged in Betty Taylor’s death.

Thirty-three year old John Pullia of Niagara Falls is facing numerous dangerous and impaired driving charges in the killing of Mary Martin.

Mary Ann Edwards: “It continues to happen and really and truly, what can we do to stop this? To halt this that innocent victim losing her life. It’s wrong.”

Niagara police charged 8 people with impaired driving just this past weekend, including the person who killed Mary Martin.