Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Bovencamp will not spend any ‘further’ time in jail and has been updated to clarify that he will not spend ‘any’ time in jail. Changes were also made to better reflect the joint submissions and agreed statement of facts presented in court.
The man who was behind the wheel in a fatal 2024 collision in Surrey will not serve any time in jail.
Michael Gordon Bovencamp, who turns 46 this year, was handed a one-year driving ban, 18 months’ probation, and a fine for the crash that killed 33-year-old husband and father Saraj Singh.
On Oct. 5, 2024, Surrey RCMP officers were called to a report of a fatal motor vehicle incident near 144 Street and Hyland Drive at 4:30 p.m.
Get daily National news
The driver of a Ford F350 was travelling northbound on 144 Street when it crossed into oncoming traffic, police said.
Two people were hit while waiting at a bus stop. Singh died at the scene. Another pedestrian suffered serious injuries.
Bovencamp had been previously charged with four offences under the Criminal Code – including impaired driving causing death. In Surrey Provincial Court, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving without reasonable consideration under the Motor Vehicle Act.
In the agreed statement of facts, Bovencamp admitted to smoking cannabis that morning but blood tests later showed no evidence of driving impaired. The accepted cause of the crash was a medical emergency. Bovencamp stated he suffered a coughing fit and eventually lost consciousness behind the wheel. The court also heard he experienced a similar episode a week prior. While Bovencamp made an appointment to see a doctor, he continued to operate a vehicle ahead of being medically assessed.
Saraj Singh’s family has described their loss as life-changing. In a previous statement to Global News, Singh was described as gentle, hardworking and loving.
“His death was sudden, violent, and completely preventable, and it destroyed the life we had built together. Every day since has felt like a struggle to breathe,” his wife Nardeep Kaur wrote.
Bovencamp apologized in court, stating he didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt.
Comments
Comments closed.
Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time.
Please see our Commenting Policy for more.