The family of a 33-year-old man killed after a car smashed head-on into his cycling group in east Richmond is appealing to B.C.’s Attorney General for “justice to be served.”
Brad Dean’s parents, Tom and Lianne, officially reached out to AG, David Eby, last week, asking him to reconsider Crown Counsel’s decision late last year to only charge Michael Wing Sing Fan with driving with undue care and attention after his car allegedly collided with Dean and his group in November 2016.
As such, Fan, who was 19 at the time of the fatal crash, would, if pleading guilty, face a maximum fine of $2,000, a prohibition from driving or six months in prison.
The Dean family, including Brad’s wife, Adele, feel Fan should face the more serious, criminal charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
Fan, who has yet to appear personally in court and has yet to plea, was scheduled to appear in Richmond Provincial Court last week.
However, he is expected to enter a guilty plea in a subsequent appearance, possibly in May.
“We were just waiting to see what charges would be laid and how it was going to play out,” said Tom Dean, when asked why the family waited until now to approach the AG.
“And there has been absolutely no charges to speak of or justice here, so that’s why. We hired a private investigator to look into this case and we also have, through our lawyers, discovered case law from Manitoba (which would support criminal charges).
“From our point of view, this is ridiculous and we simply have to push this harder and harder and we will keep pushing.
“We had lawyers on this early, and we tried to go down the normal routes, but it’s not working. That’s why we felt we had to reach out to the Attorney General.
“And we’re trying to get the police to re-open the case, but it’s not that simple.”
Outside the courthouse last December, Brad’s mom, Lianne, said she got the impression that the justice system in the province can’t cope.
“I do believe the system is overwhelmed and (Crown are) looking for the easiest conviction,” said Lianne at the time, holding a picture of her son and trying to hold back her tears.
Several fellow cyclists in Brad’s group that day were seriously injured and their lives have been severely impacted as a result.
The tragic accident happened on a Sunday morning as Brad’s group, cycling east, collided with Fan and his car, who was heading in the opposite direction, near a bend on the most eastern section of River Road, close to where it intersects with Westminster Highway.
