Todd Red Gilman

by Spartan Tue 18 Apr 2023, 5:23 am

'He died doing one of his passions': Veteran killed in Calgary's second fatal motorcycle crash of the year

Nicole Di Donato

Published April 17, 2023

Todd Red Gilman served in the Canadian Armed Forces and is being remembered for his efforts to help other veterans.

He spent much of his time volunteering at the Veterans Association Food Bank in Calgary, putting together food hampers and uplifting the people around him.

"Even through his own struggles, Todd made sure that everybody else knew that he was there to help them," said Charles Redeker, a friend and operations manager at the food bank.

"He was somebody I knew I could reach out to."

Gilman died after a motorcycle crash on Saturday along Stoney Trail near the Glenmore exit.

Police say he crossed the median fog line, struck a post of the cable barrier on the median and was thrown.

Gilman was taken to hospital with serious injuries and died soon after.

"He's back with his son that he lost late last year … and he died doing one of his passions," Redeker said.

Excessive speed and impairment are not believed to be factors in the crash.

This is the second motorcycle fatality in Calgary this year.

The first happened just over two weeks ago after a rider lost control and crashed on Macleod Trail.

Police are urging caution as motorcyclists get back on the road this spring.

"Your bikes have been sitting all season, as have you, so both of you are inexperienced, if you will," said Sgt. Dale Seddon with the Calgary Police Service Traffic Unit.

"Check those tires out, check the electrical systems out, things sit all winter, it gets moisture in those lines, things may not work properly."

Seddon also warns that road conditions are different this time of year.

"There's still a fair bit of gravel out there that they need to be careful of. There's that spring runoff and water on the roads that they need to be careful (of). And then, with the temperatures, they can be pretty volatile in the spring, so what looks like water might in fact be black ice," he said.

Trevor Dech, owner of Too Cool Motorcycle School, has taught more than 23,000 people how to ride a motorcycle over the past three decades.

He says it's just as important for long-time riders to continue practising their skills and the rules of the road.

"Getting into a parking lot and just spend five minutes saying, 'You know what, I'm going to work on my braking today, I'm going to work on acceleration braking, I'm going to work on slow speed turns,'" he said.

"If you control the speed, you control a lot of the factors, and then all of a sudden, riding is safe and enjoyable."

Dech says it's also crucial to have the proper gear on, regardless of how warm it is.

Meanwhile, Gilman's friends are looking for ways to keep his memory alive.

"Just remember the service and dedication to his country, and then that same service and dedication to his brothers and sisters that he served with," Redeker said.

"We will keep working hard with him watching over us."

CTV News Calgary