LangleyAdvance
Little Canucks fan pg A7
Your community newspaper since 1931
Friday, May 14, 2010
Your source for local sports, news, weather, and entertainment: www.langleyadvance.com
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Air Ambulance called to crash
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A crushed helmet and bloody rags remained after a large truck slammed into a bicycle rider Thursday morning.
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A 50-year-old Langley man suffered serious injuries after a large sewage truck smashed into him during the Thursday morning commute. The rider, wearing a helmet and reflective vest, was heading west on 50th Avenue. Near the corner of 196B Street, a truck apparently turned into the rider’s lane, and the rider hit the front of the vehicle. The rider suffered head and chest injuries, said Sgt. Tom James, speaking for the Langley RCMP. “We know that he had some breathing issues, and the helmet was totally destroyed,” James said. An Air Ambulance landed on the field at the nearby Nicomekl Elementary, and the man was transported from there to a trauma hospital. After the crash, RCMP interviewed the truck’s driver, and accident investigators came out to study the scene. The bike, the crushed helmet, and the man’s reflective vest lay
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It remains a mystery whether a beating caused the death of a Fort Langley resident. by Matthew Claxton A man badly beaten by a home invader on April 6 has died, but police can’t yet say whether the attacker will be charged with murder. The victim was attacked in his home in the 23000 block of 96th Avenue in Fort Langley on April 6. He was taken to hospital and released, but was later re-admitted for further treatment, the Langley RCMP said.
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next to bloody rags left behind by paramedics. Neighbours who lived directly across the street said the man’s face was covered with blood. The victim was still and apparently unconscious immediately after the crash, but within a few minutes he was trying to move. “I took a couple of blankets out there to cover him,” said one neighbour, who asked not to be named. James said no charges have
been laid yet, as the investigation is still underway. However, it appears so far that the rider was obeying the traffic laws. “He was riding in the proper lane,” James said. Investigators will look into whether the angle of the early morning sun may have been a factor. The rider’s bike was a high performance street model, and James noted they can move at a
Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance
fairly high speed. This is the second serious accident in Langley involving a cyclist this spring. Police are also investigating a hit and run in Murrayville on March 12 in which a vehicle actually ran over a man’s torso. He survived and managed to make his way to a nearby store to get help. Read a letter about this accident, from a fellow cyclist, on page A9.
New charges possible after victim dies
mclaxton@langleyadvance.com
LANGLEY
An RCMP officer stands next to the debris left after a cyclist was struck by a large truck Thursday morning.
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When or how the man died has not been released. Matthew Sherwin, 23, faces a charge of aggravated assault, as well as several lesser charges, in connection with the initial home invasion. The B.C. Coroner’s Service is currently crafting its report on the cause of the victim’s death, said Sgt. Tom James, a spokesperson for the local RCMP. “Until the coroner’s report comes through with the cause of death, that determines whether charges will be changed,” said James. It isn’t known if the beating caused the man’s death, or if it was caused by a pre-existing medical condition.
James said he didn’t know when the coroner’s report will be completed and handed over. Once it is, it will be up to Crown prosecutors to make the call on whether charges will be upgraded from aggravated assault. Neil MacKenzie of the provincial Crown Counsel’s Office said it isn’t unusual for charges to be upgraded, dropped, or changed as new information becomes available. It also isn’t unheard of for victims of violence to die after lesser charges have already been laid, prompting changes. The initial incident involved a violent struggle between the suspect and police.
Relay for Life art auction
Bidding on Tears of Hope and Scented Memories will stay open into the Relay for Life on May 28. See page A20.
Officers responding to a call about a break in heard a violent fracas going on inside the Fort home. A man armed with a bat came out the back door. When police ordered him to put down his weapon, he dropped the bat but threw a large sheathed knife at an officer. It took four officers to pin and cuff the suspect. In addition to aggravated assault, Sherwin was charged with assault with intent to resist arrest, breaking and entering, and possession of stolen property. He has been held in custody since his arrest. He appears in court next on Monday, May 17.