Aug. 18, 2010
The accident: It was a sunny, summer day when Ralph Michael Coady Jr., 56, of Frasers Mountain crossed the centre line with his pickup truck and struck a Newalta tanker truck driven by Christopher Walsh of Smiths Creek, N.B., which rolled down an embankment spilling a load of waste oil, which caught fire.
Who died:
Christopher Walsh was 37 at the time of the accident. According to his obituary he was born in Saint John, N.B., the son of James and Susan Walsh of Apohaqui.
He left behind a wife, Tammy Walsh, and two daughters, Shamya and Savannah.
Ralph Coady was 56. He was the son of the late Ralph and Helen Coady. According to his obituary he owned and operated Mike Coady’s Drywall for 36 years and enjoyed hunting, fishing and playing darts.
He left behind his common-law partner, Mary Rose, a daughter, Chelsea, son, Christopher, and a granddaughter, Haleigh.
Aug. 23, 2010
The accident: Galen Thomas Macdonald was driving a Toyota Corolla travelling eastbound and struck a westbound tractor trailer carrying a 30-tonne load of gravel.
A blue, three-wheeled Harley Davidson motorcycle towing a trailer was behind the truck and lost control as a result of the collision between the car and truck. The Mounties said it appeared the motorcycle jackknifed as a result. Linda Harley was a passenger on the motorcycle.
Who died:
Galen Macdonald was just 21 at the time of his death. A graduate of J.H. Gillis High School he had spent his time after high school working odd jobs before finding his way working mining camps in the Canadian North, according to his obituary.
He had a passion for music and developed a business, the GTM group, to promote and present techno music at Maritime venues.
His father, Colin, never saw his son after the accident, but said he understands it was a pretty traumatic accident.
“For the first responders to do this time and time again it must be very difficult,” he said.
While he doesn’t blame the untwinned highway for his son’s death, he does agree having it twinned might lessen the severity of what those first responders have to deal with.
Linda Harley was 55 at the time of the accident. She was in the area with her husband from Ontario. She left behind her husband Terry as well as two children, Tammy and Tara, as well as two grandchildren at the time, Paige and MacKenzie Corlis.
Aug. 13, 2011
The accident: A man driving a car struck a tractor trailer. The collision occurred near kilometre marker 187 in the eastbound lane of 104 Highway at approximately 1:15 p.m. The Trans Canada Highway in the area was closed and traffic diverted between Exits 27 and 29 for several hours while RCMP members from Pictou County District and Eastern Traffic Services examined the scene and Department of Transportation officials cleared debris.
Who died: The driver of the car. His identity was not released.
Feb. 25, 2012
The accident: A 45-year-old Pictou County woman was the lone occupant of a white sedan heading towards Antigonish that collided with a transfer truck heading toward New Glasgow. The badly damaged sedan ended up on its roof in a nearby field next to the highway. The truck was jackknifed across the road and heavily damaged in the front.
Who died: Jane “Allison” Langille Sharpe, 45, was a New Glasgow resident. She was employed as a customer service representative with OLS in Antigonish. Earlier in her life she had completed the Royal Canadian Air Cadets program with the 374 F/L Chisholm Squadron in Stellarton. She enjoyed camping and swimming. She left behind two children and a grandson.
Feb. 15, 2013
The accident: The accident happened at 12:50 p.m. in James River near exit 30. A Volvo S60 collided into a Honda CRV travelling on Highway 104. The driver of the Volvo died at the scene.
Who died: Patricia “Pat” Skinner was 78 at the time of her death. As a prominent human rights advocate, her work touched many Nova Scotians and extended well beyond her appointment as a commissioner in 2010, a release from the Human Rights Commission said at the time. Skinner was a recipient of the Human Rights Award in 2006 and a past employee of the commission in the 1980s.
She left behind two daughters, a son, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
July 11, 2013
The accident: At 1 p.m. Pictou County RCMP responded to a crash on the undivided portion of Highway 104 just east of New Glasgow. A motorcycle travelling eastbound left the roadway. Heavy rains in the area were considered a factor in the crash. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim: A 52-year-old man from Dartmouth. His name was not released.
Aug. 20, 2013
The accident: A small car carrying three 17-year-old girls enjoying their summer crossed the centre line and crashed headlong into a truck at mile marker 193. The driver of the car died at the scene. Her friend was airlifted to Halifax fighting for her life. Police believe the teen hit the gravel shoulder and over-corrected.
Who died: Breanna Lundrigan, of Mulgrave was the teen who died that day. She left behind her parents Ben and Karen Lundrigan to mourn as well as two brothers. She was just about to enter Grade 12 at SAERC where she was a member of the soccer and track and field teams.
“They say it will get easier. I’m not sure when,” her mother Karen told The News last summer. “It hasn’t happened yet. I don’t suspect it will anytime soon.”
Feb. 5, 2014
The accident: At 12:45 p.m. RCMP responded to a motor vehicle collision between a tractor-trailer and a van on Trans Canada Highway 104. The driver of the van was killed. The driver of the tractor-trailer was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Who died: Christopher “Chris” Ernst Karam was 17 at the time of the crash. He lived in Glace Bay and was the son of Sam and Tara Karam. He had graduated Glace Bay High on Jan. 31 and was accepted into the engineering course at Memorial University in Newfoundland. According to his obituary, he loved listening to music, working out at the gym and spending time with his family and friends. Besides his parents, he was survived by three brothers and his girlfriend Robyn Hawco.
May 4, 2014
The accident: That Sunday at 6:58 a.m., Pictou County RCMP responded to a single-motor vehicle collision on Highway 104, east of exit 27 in Broadway, Pictou County. Preliminary investigation determined that the lone male driver of an eastbound van lost control, crossed the highway and crashed in the westbound ditch.
Who died: Craig Alexander MacNeil was 38 and lived in North Grant, Antigonish County. He left behind his partner, Cheryl Terrantini, and two children. Craig had been employed with Ross Screen Print in Antigonish. His obituary says he was an avid sportsman. He played hockey, baseball and loved to spend time with his children.
Oct. 17, 2014
The accident: At 5:30 a.m. on that Friday, RCMP responded to a report of a collision in Marshy Hope. The preliminary investigation determined that a collision occurred between a tractor-trailer and pickup truck. The driver of the pickup was pronounced dead at the scene.
Who died: Ben Carver, 37, of Sheet Harbour, left behind two children and a wife. His wife Sandra signed an online petition for the highway to be twinned.
“I’m signing this and praying and hoping that this petition is taken seriously. I hope that change is made. I know it won’t happen overnight, but I will say this highway can change your life in a split second. I pray that no other families have to endure this pain.”
May 23, 2016
The accident: Just before 4 p.m., Pictou District RCMP and several fire departments responded to the collision that involved three vehicles, two of which collided head-on.
Police say the preliminary investigation determined an SUV was travelling east on Highway 104 near distance marker 188 and crossed the centre line, striking the rear driver's side of an oncoming pick-up truck. The SUV continued east directly into the path of a westbound car, colliding head-on with it.
Who died: A 35-year-old Halifax woman died at the scene. Two children – a three-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy – were in the car with the deceased woman. The boy had non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to hospital. The girl was not injured. The 72-year-old female driver of the SUV from Pomquet sustained serious injuries and was transported via LifeFlight to hospital in Halifax.
