Gift car raises spirits of family thrown into turmoil by crash
‘My faith in people has been restored’
When a runaway truck smashed into her Saanich townhouse in the middle of the night, totalling her car and terrifying her family, Andrea Deman’s life was turned upside down.
The earthquake-like impact destroyed her deck and left the single mother without a vehicle to get to work. She is a cafeteria cook at CFB Esquimalt and no buses leave early enough for her 6:45 a.m. start time.
She also had no means to drive around her son and daughter, who has autism.
But friends of a friend, a Metchosin-area retired couple she had never met, gave Deman their 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. Oct. 19 marked the first day Deman was able to get to work on time since the crash on Sept. 24.
“I’m floored and exuberant and my faith in people has been restored,” Deman said.
She’s still frustrated, however, at the driver of the truck that barrelled down an embankment at 1:20 a.m., hitting a beam under the Nigel Avenue townhouse and demolishing the 1991 Buick she had won in a contest, a car in “mint condition” with just 85,000 kilometres on the odometer.
Had the truck hit a metre to the left or the right, either one of her children’s bedrooms could have collapsed, she said.
After crashing the truck, the driver fled the scene, and could not be found by a Saanich police canine unit. When police traced the vehicle, the owner said it had been stolen, but later admitted to falling asleep at the wheel.
Deman said she expected the driver of the truck would face criminal charges. That never happened. “Charges of public mischief and obstruction of justice were both considered by investigators relating to the false information provided by the owner/driver,” said Saanich police spokesman Sgt. Steve Eassie.
Eassie said police can’t confirm the condition of the driver at the time of the incident, and have no evidence that would contradict his statement that he fell asleep. “There were no signs of braking, and no alcohol containers or drugs located in the vehicle.”
While the driver’s admission that he had fallen asleep could have been part of the evidence for a criminal charge, Eassie said, further evidence would have been needed in the event the statement was ruled inadmissible in court.
The investigator opted instead to fine the man $368 for hit and run under the Motor Vehicle Act.
Deman said the driver did not deserve a break, based on his behaviour.
“That just makes me mad because my life has been turned upside down,” she said.
“It’s just not fair. I did nothing wrong and I’m the one that’s paying for it.”
She does not have to worry about replacing her deck; that will be dealt with by the landlord. But she got only $1,600 from ICBC for her Buick due to its age.
Police will share the results of their investigation with ICBC and Road Safety B.C., which has the discretion to place other sanctions on the driver, Eassie said.
For her part, Deman is consulting a lawyer to try to recover damages from the truck driver.
“I’m still suffering financially,” she said, noting that she missed pay daily for three weeks for late arrival and early departures to pick up her daughter, Kara, eight, from appointments.
Also, her new vehicle has 233,000 kilometres on it and will soon need new brakes.
Victoria Speedy Auto has offered to repair or replace the brakes free of charge.
“I’m a single mom, living on a limited income and working full time,” Deman said.
“I have to laugh or I’ll cry.”