Episode 02b – My Victim Impact Statement

What does a victim impact statement in a Canadian court actually sound like? When someone is killed by an impaired driver in Canada, families may speak during a criminal sentencing hearing to describe the real consequences of drunk driving and impaired driving. In this episode of LIVID: Learning, Insights, and Voices on Impaired Driving, host Amanda Bickell shares the victim impact statement she delivered in court after the impaired driver who killed her 22-year-old daughter, Abbey, plead guilty.On February 25, 2026, more than two and 1/2 years after Abbey’s death, Amanda stood in a Vancouver courtroom and publicly described the impact of losing her child. This episode is a recording of that statement.It is deeply personal and emotionally difficult. Amanda recounts her last moments with Abbey, the morning police came to the door, and the devastating responsibilities that follow the sudden death of a child. She describes the reality of traumatic grief, the decisions families must make in the aftermath of a fatal crash, and how a single act of impaired driving can fracture lives, families, and communities forever.The statement also reflects on the life Abbey lived: her strength, values, friendships, and the many possibilities that were taken from her when she was killed. Through this testimony, the courtroom heard not just about a fatal collision, but about a daughter, sister, friend, and young woman whose future was stolen by someone else’s decision to drive impaired.Amanda speaks about the lasting effects of traumatic loss, the pieces of life that are completely destroyed, the pieces that remain but are forever broken, and the ongoing work of learning to live with grief that never ends.This episode contains the full victim impact statement as read in court, shared with the hope that listeners will better understand the real consequences of impaired driving.If hearing this story helps even one person decide never to drive impaired, to stop someone else from doing so, or to report a suspected impaired driver, then Abbey’s story may help make the world just a little safer.Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses traumatic loss, grief, and the death of a child.