Back on track in Nanaimo page 43
Art show explores The Princess Myth page 49
Thursday May 2, 2013
Serving Surrey and North Delta www.surreyleader.com
Father witnessed aftermath of crash that killed five Surrey man was waiting for his family to return from prayer service by Kevin Diakiw THE BIRTHDAY cake intended for
two children killed in a horrific car accident Sunday remained at their father’s home on Monday. Gurmit (Jolly) Sachdeva told visiting mourner Gurpreet Singh that the cake would never be cut. Sachdeva was waiting at home on Sunday for his family to return from worship services. He became anxious when they were late, then heard on the radio there was a terrible car crash at 32 Gurpreet Singh Avenue and 176 Street. He drove to the intersection and saw the family car had been sheared in half, and all five occupants – his three-year-old daughter Jessica, five-year-old son Annish, sister Neelam Dhingra, 47, mother Vidya, 68, and his wife Pawandeep, 31 – were dead. When Singh, a Radio India host, went to the family home to offer condolences on Monday, Gurmit Sachdeva and several friends were crying inconsolably.
“He said, ‘we had a cake which is still waiting for my child...’”
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BOAZ JOSEPH / THE LEADER
Leaving their marks on Earth Week
Kids colour a mural at the Party for the Planet on Saturday, April 27 at Central City Plaza. Families came for live music, rides, food and live entertainment that included roving members of Cirque Surrey. For more event photos, see page 53.
‘Heroes’ save Surrey senior Group of Good Samaritans resuce woman from house fire
by Kevin Diakiw WITH FLAMES advancing fast, the 75-yearold woman was trapped on the balcony of a two-storey home, and but for a dramatic rescue, she might not be alive today. Sam Sihalathavong was cutting his front lawn on Monday (April 29) afternoon, when he saw smoke coming from the house next door, in the 13500-block of 66 Ave. The 49-year-old dashed over to the smouldering home, and helped a man and a child out the front door. He asked the man if there was anyone else in the house, and the man, choking from
smoke inhalation, pointed a finger upstairs. Sihalathavong ran around back to find a woman on an upstairs balcony with flames licking about a metre behind her. There was a man from a local construction site who had brought a ladder and was trying to get her off the balcony. Sam Sihalathavong climbed up to help, Sihalathavong but neither of the men could safely lift her over. A larger man, believed to be from a local halfway house, climbed
the ladder to help. While trying to get her placed on the ladder, the woman slipped, got a leg caught in a ladder rung and was hanging upside down. Sihalathavong yelled to the other men they had to lift the ladder down with the woman on it. The other two leapt down, joining Surrey RCMP Const. Avtar Dosanjh, who was driving to another call when he saw smoke, and lifted the woman to safety.
Editorial 6 Letters 7 Sports 43 Arts 49 People 54 Classifieds 57
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