Alexa’s Story
4 ½ year-old Alexa Renée Middelaer was a child full of zeal with a tenacious spirit. With her blonde curls flowing, she plowed through life with purpose, determination and vigor. On a warm sunny day in May 2008, Alexa and her aunt were visiting “Horsey Love”, a very special equine friend that Alexa loved dearly and enjoyed feeding carrots and treats to.
It was on that day that little Alexa was run down by a vehicle driven by an individual suspected of being impaired at the time.
Her grandparents sustained emotional shock and physical injury, and her aunt suffered life threatening injuries.
Alexa lost her life as a result of that crash. Since then a Delta woman has been convicted and sentenced for impaired driving related to the death of Alexa Middelaer.
Alexa’s Team
Alexa’s Team is a program that recognizes police officers who make an extraordinary contribution in reducing the number of impaired drivers on the roads of B.C. communities. The BCAA Road Safety Foundation, the Middelaer family and the Insurance Corporation of BC (ICBC) are partners in Alexa’s Team to honour these officers.
To be nominated for Alexa’s Team, police officers must have taken at least 12 criminally impaired drivers off the road through a Criminal Charge Investigation or the Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) administrative process.
Since the program’s inception in 2008, Alexa’s Team members have laid more than 30,000 impaired driving charges and penalties. In 2011, 340 police officers qualified to become members of Alexa’s team bringing the total to more than 760 since 2008. Each year the number of team members has grown significantly, from 26 in 2008, to 174 in 2009, 224 in 2010 and 340 in 2011.
The following New Westminster Police Officers have met or exceeded the qualifications to be part of Alexa’s Team and were recognized for their outstanding contribution to the program at a luncheon that took place on April 23, 2012 at Southridge School in Surrey:
- Constable Darryl PAKOSH
- Constable Andrea MARTENS
- Constable Stu HAGEN
- Constable Ryan PHILLIPS
- Constable Mike WISE
- Constable John MACDONALD