It was an emotional morning in Richmond Provincial Court at the sentencing hearing for the driver who killed a 61-year-old Richmond woman. The 42-year-old driver, Sundeep Singh Mann, appeared in person on Friday, June 28 for his hearing. The victim's family members were also present in the courtroom.
The court heard that, shortly after midnight on Sept. 2, 2020, Mann's white SUV crossed the centre line and hit a northbound vehicle head-on just outside the north end of the George Massey Tunnel. Maintenance work was being done in the tunnel and the northbound lanes were closed.
Northbound traffic was diverted to the southbound lane and traffic in both directions was reduced to one lane. Signage was put up to alert drivers of the work and the reduced speed limit posted at the Steveston on-ramp was 60 kilometres per hour, the prosecution told the court. Witnesses at the scene recalled seeing Mann's SUV bypass traffic and observed the digital speed reader indicating Mann was driving at 109 kilometres per hour.
Alcohol was found in Mann's blood when he was sent to the hospital for treatment. The victim was heading home with her husband after dinner, the court heard. The victim, who was driving, was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering from several blunt-force traumas.
Her husband, the passenger, was sent to the hospital with serious injuries including broken bones. Photos of the crash were submitted as evidence. One photo, a close-up of the driver's seat of the victim's veh.
