A young Ontario trucker crashed into a family’s minivan in Monteregi, leaving the young mother in a two-month coma after failing to make a forced stop while she was on a video call on her phone.
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Almost a year ago, Harjot Singh was at the wheel of a heavy goods vehicle that struck a small family’s Dodge Caravan at the St-Hélène-de-Bacot junction at around 9:15pm. Uncontrollable parents threw three children, one into a ditch and another into the middle of a stream, in front of them.
Singh recently pleaded guilty to five counts of causing injury in a Saint-Hyacinthe court. The Brampton resident, who has a student visa in Canada, had just received his truck driver’s license a few months ago.
Harjot Singh never braked or slowed down and the mandatory stop was imminent, which was announced twice, Crown Prosecutor Ms.e Emily Godbois. According to dashboard camera footage, the force of the impact sent his truck into the other lane.
However, the 21-year-old truck driver preferred to continue on his way rather than help the victims.
The rear axle of his semi-trailer was heavily damaged, spewing smoke as it rolled, making continuous noise and marks on the ground. The police stopped him a dozen kilometers away.
The driver of the heavy truck was arrested ten minutes later, about 12 kilometers from the collision.
Photo by Eric Beaupre / Wing55
Wonder Mother
All family members in the white minivan were injured. They could not be identified due to a court order.
The 4-year-old suffered a broken wrist during the collision. His 5-year-old sister suffered a hip injury, while the elder, 10, suffered a broken knee and multiple injuries.
The father suffered a broken bone behind his nose, two broken ribs, a punctured spleen and a head injury.
The mother almost lost her life. She remained in a coma in the hospital, with doctors unsure if she would ever recover. Miraculously, she woke up two months later, but with many after effects.
Mom spent about two months in a coma in the hospital before waking up with the after effects.
Photo provided by family
She had difficulty walking and talking, memory problems and confusion. Even today she needs to be rehabilitated.
Lie to the police
When Singh was caught by the police, he was quick to say that he had “called the police”, which was completely false. 911 calls from him were never traced.
Especially since his cell phone was on a video call for 26 minutes and he was already in line when he was handcuffed and confronted.
The device was found in the cup holder, but the investigation could not prove whether he handled it or not.
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