'A bad nightmare': Manitoba teen killed in Highway 207 rollover

A 17-year-old boy from Lorette, Man., has died after the carhe wasin rolled into a ditch on Highway 207 just east of the community early Sunday morning.

"We couldn't believe it, thought it was a bad nightmare,"MichelleSauve,manager of the Co-opinLorette, said of the death of her former employee,Colin Roer.

Steinbach RCMP say they were called to the highway, just east of Municipal Road 31, just after 4:30 a.m. and found the car rolled into the ditch on the highway's north side.

The teen, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was ejected from the carand pronounced dead at the scene. It appears that he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time, RCMP said in a news release Monday.

Another 17-year-old boy from Lorette who was driving the vehicle was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the release said.

It appears the passenger was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the rollover, while the driver was, police said. Alcohol is believed to be a factor, they added.

Sauvesaid as an employee,Roerhad agreat work ethic.

"You mentor these guys and they are kind of like your kids," Sauve said. "They grow on you,you get to know their quirks and challenges. Some of us have kids of our own and it's kind of an extension."

Sauvesaid news of Roer'sdeath spread through Lorettequickly.

"It's a small community.You're in shock," she said. "We didn't realize it was true until one of our employees came in crying ... Iwent and spoke with his dad and it's beyond words. It's a tragedy."

The crash was about eight kilometres east of Lorette, a small community25 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg.