OAKVILLE, Ontario, Dec. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MADD Canada will be unveiling a new roadside memorial sign in honour of 22-year-old Cole Robert David Hodge, who was tragically killed in an impaired driving crash on December 18, 2023 in St. Catharines. The unveiling ceremony will take place at the intersection of Bunting Road and Eastchester, close to the crash site where Cole was killed.
Just two days after graduating from college, Cole had been celebrating the start of the holiday season with friends and coworkers at a local Boston Pizza. On his way home, he was a passenger in the back seat of his co-worker’s vehicle. The car came down a street, and when the road ended, it jumped the curb and slammed into a tree. Cole died at the scene. The driver’s blood alcohol concentration was later found to be twice the legal limit, and crash data revealed the vehicle was travelling 164 km/h in the moments before the crash. Cole’s life, full of promise and a future he was eager to begin, was taken far too soon. The grief of his loss continues to be deeply felt by his family, friends, and all who knew him.
Media are invited to attend and hear from guests. Interviews and photo opportunities will be available.
| Date & Time: | Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 11 a.m. |
| Location: | Intersection of Bunting Rd and Eastchester |
| Guests: | MADD Canada Chief Operating Officer, Dawn Regan |
| Community Assistant, representing Jennie Stevens, MPP for St. Catharines, Ms. Taylor Jones | |
| Mayor of St. Catharines, Mat Siscoe | |
| Niagara Regional Police Service Chief, Bill Fordy | |
| Mother of Cole, Aletha Romagnoli | |
| Father of Cole, John Hodge | |
| Family and Friends of Cole | |
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 Cole Hodge’s mom, Aletha, for her courage, and the City of St. Catharines for its support in establishing this roadside memorial sign.
To RSVP for the event, contact:
Dawn Regan, MADD Canada Chief Operating Officer, 1-800-665-6233, ext. 223
Arielle Nkongmeneck, MADD Canada Communications Manager, 1-800-665-6233 ext. 240 or ankongmeneck@madd.ca
