Family pleads for charges against man who gave keys to driver responsible for killing Jordyn Reimer in crash

The parents of Jordyn Reimer, the Winnipeg woman killed in a fatal drunk-driving collision in 2022, are asking for a second look at the Crown's decision to not lay charges against the person who gave the drunk driver his keys as they left a bar.

Karen and Doug Reimer met with Justice Minister Matt Wiebe for more than 30 minutes on Monday to request an independent review of the decision not to prosecute.

"We want accountability for this person's culpable criminal role in Jordyn's death," Karen Reimer said afterwards.

During the criminal trial, the court was told Tyler Scott Goodman consumed nine or 10 drinks at Joe's Pandora Inn bar the night of April 30, 2022. 

As they were about to leave, a woman who knew Goodman confronted him and asked where his keys were. Goodman said he didn't know, court heard.

The Crown attorney said the woman grabbed his jacket from a table and the keys were inside, but one of Goodman's friends took the keys back, telling her not to worry and that he would drive because he was not as drunk.

However, Goodman was given the keys and ultimately drove the truck, court was told.

He ran two stop signs before colliding with the driver's side of Jordyn Reimer's SUV at the intersection of Bond Street and Kildare Avenue W. around 2:10 a.m.

Goodman was travelling more than 100 km/h at the time of the collision in Winnipeg's Transcona neighbourhood, twice the 50 km/h speed limit in the residential area.

Reimer, who was a designated driver that night, was on her way to pick up a friend. 

Goodman was handed a six-year sentence on the charge of impaired driving causing death, and an additional year for failing to stop at the scene.

The Reimers say Goodman's friend who took the keys back should be charged with criminal negligence causing death. They say he would have known the driver was drunk. 

"In our minds, this is no different than if he had handed him the bullet for the gun," Karen Reimer said. "The difference is that the keys were the bullet and the truck was the weapon."

The family said it would prefer if the original prosecutors changed their mind, but barring that, they'd accept an independent review of the case.

2nd opinion led to charges against Nygard

The Reimers are hoping to follow the same approach that former justice minister Kelvin Goertzen took when he asked prosecutors from another province to take another look at the evidence against former fashion mogul Peter Nygard. 

Goertzen said he had concerns other jurisdictions had laid charges against Nygard, but not Manitoba, his home province.

The second opinion from prosecutors in Saskatchewan resulted in Nygard being charged in Manitoba with sexual assault and unlawful confinement. 

After meeting with the Reimers, Wiebe said he couldn't speak specifically to the matter because it remains before the courts — Goodman has appealed his sentence — but he expressed his condolences and said he appreciates the family's advocacy. 

"I think it's absolutely clear that we need to ensure that victims of crime are being heard," he said. "And that really was the main purpose of this meeting, and making sure that we're listening, especially when it comes to impaired driving here in the province."

Wiebe said the NDP government would introduce legislation in the spring to strengthen drunk driving legislation, but he refused to elaborate.