'It's devastating': Family mourns daughter who died in head-on collision just before her birthday
Marlene Komus died after a head-on collision on Highway 75 last Sunday
Marlene Komus died after a head-on collision on Highway 75, south of St. Norbert, Man. last Sunday. She was driving just after 6 a.m. when her vehicle collided with a car travelling the wrong direction on the highway.
The 21-year-old woman driving the other vehicle was brought to hospital where she was pronounced dead. RCMP said they believe speed, alcohol and distracted driving were likely factors in the crash.
"Today was Marlene's birthday. It's like I've expected her to come in the front door and then I would wish her a happy birthday but she's gone," Scott Komus, Marlene's father, said.
Scott Komus was on a holiday with Marlene's mother, sitting in a restaurant in Boston, when they got the phone call that their daughter had died.
"It's devastating, it's devastating," he said.
Marlene Komus had moved back to Manitoba last December after living in Montreal. She had bought a house, a car and started a new job only two weeks before.
"She had a bright future, had everything going for her," Scott Komus said.
"She was vibrant. She had a great sense of humour. She laughed at my jokes. She was very outgoing."
Marlene Komus was close to her family and had lots of friends. She volunteered at a local cat shelter and travelled extensively.
"She was intelligent and could talk to you on any level on a variety of subjects. She was full of enthusiasm," Scott Komus said.
Scott Komus said he has a lot of questions about the morning his daughter died and how another vehicle ended up driving the wrong way down the highway. He said he's "too beaten down to be angry" but he hopes to get answers once the investigation is done.
"I want to know the truth eventually as to what exactly happened," he said.
The family is collecting donations in Marlene Komus' name for the Klinic Community Health Centre or Craig Street Cats. Her funeral will be held on Nov. 14.