MADD Canada’s New Roadside Memorial Sign in Mississauga Honours Carla Charlebois and Rama Pirakala Killed in Impaired Driving Crash

OAKVILLE, Ontario, May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new MADD Canada roadside memorial sign will be unveiled today in Mississauga in honour of Carly Charlebois and Rama Pirakala, who were tragically killed in an impaired driving crash in 2022. The unveiling ceremony will be held at the QEW and Erin Mills Parkway carpool lot, near the crash site where Carly and Rama were killed.

On June 16, 2022, on the QEW at Cawthra Road at around 10:30 p.m., Carly Charlebois and Rama Pirakala’s vehicles were involved in a minor collision. No one was injured but the drivers, Carly, a 20-year-old woman from Hamilton and Rama, a 42-year-old man from Oakville, got out of their cars to assess damages and exchange information. Just moments later, an impaired driver rammed into the back of Carly’s car, where she was sitting in the back seat. Carly was transported to hospital without vital signs and was pronounced dead. Rama was thrown onto the guardrail and suffered blunt-force injuries. He died at the scene. The grief of their deaths continues to be deeply felt by their family, friends, and all who knew them.

“Every roadside memorial sign tells a story that should never have been written,” said Tanya Hansen Pratt, National President of MADD Canada. “Carly’s family is grieving a young life just beginning, and Rama’s family is grieving a father who will never come home. This is the devastating reality of impaired driving, an entirely preventable crime, and it is why we must always drive sober.”

“Carly had her whole life ahead of her and it was taken in an instant by a choice that should never be made,” said Carly’s mom, Cheryl Lewis. “My heart, body, and soul ache for her every single day. We are not only mourning who she was, but everything she was supposed to become. That future has been stolen from us.”

Family, friends and special guests will be attending the unveiling event today, including Carly’s mother, Cheryl Lewis; MADD Canada Chief Operating Officer, Dawn Regan; Deputy Chief for Peel Regional Police, Marc Andrews; and Deputy Chief of Capital Assets with Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services, John Crozier.

Roadside memorial signs are a powerful way to honour victims and to remind motorists about the tragic and lasting consequences of impaired driving. MADD Canada thanks Carly’s mom, Cheryl Lewis, for her courage, and the City of Mississauga for its support in establishing the roadside memorial sign.

For more information on how MADD Canada support victims and survivors of impaired driving, click here.

About MADD Canada
MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in close to 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. For more information, visit www.madd.ca.

For more information, contact:
Arielle Nkongmeneck, MADD Canada Communications Manager, 1-800-665-6233 ext. 240 or ankongmeneck@madd.ca

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