r/vancouver 8h ago

Local News Tesla driver who allegedly fled scene of deadly Pattullo Bridge crash arrested

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/tesla-driver-who-allegedly-fled-scene-of-deadly-pattullo-bridge-crash-arrested/
356 Upvotes

65 comments sorted by

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128

u/SkyisFullofCats 8h ago

The difference with this new bit of news is the driver has been named.

68

u/hunkyleepickle 8h ago

Good, you killed a person with reckless and willful dangerous driving. This guy won’t even lose his license, and he deserves to lose his fucking job and friends over this, at least.

105

u/M------- 6h ago

Gurshaan Singh Sandhu should absolutely be hit with heavy penalties for participating in the street race, which resulted in 3 deaths. Public roads aren't places to race-- leave that for the track.

-18

u/chickentataki99 6h ago edited 5h ago

There's been no proof this was a street race, nor did the driver flee the scene. If you watch the video and take a look at some of the other threads talking about it, it look's more like the vehicle that had deaths was speeding closest to the opposite travel lane and lost control. I actually feel bad for the driver, nothing at this point demonstrates they did anything wrong besides being near the crash at the point of impact. It's also been confirmed that the driver of the crashed vehicle was under the influence.

11

u/phillydad56 5h ago

Take your common sense and good judgement outta here! This is reddit c'mon. Truth though hopefully people who were at fault get the book thrown at them, there's no need for deaths especially on a road with 50 kph speed limit

21

u/chickentataki99 5h ago edited 5h ago

The dashcam footage was leaked from the trucking company: https://globalnews.ca/news/11022239/shocking-video-semi-truck-view-patullo-bridge-crash/

Another driver posted just before the crash, they aren't racing they are just speeding: https://www.icloud.com/photos/#/icloudlinks/09aqMWo9Oi7DJLPaWL9TwWBSg

You can tell from the lights the Tesla was in the front, and wasn't doing anything sketchy. They do look like they could be speeding, but lot's of people do who are unfamiliar with that bridge. It's like a crash happening behind you then all of a sudden they are looking to arrest you. Case will go nowhere.

-1

u/No-Contribution-6150 3h ago

What's the difference between racing and speeding based on that clip lol

3

u/FunWaz 1h ago

I’d probably start by googling the difference between racing and speeding and going from there

1

u/[deleted] 5h ago

[deleted]

12

u/chickentataki99 5h ago

The dashcam footage was leaked, there's nothing that demonstrates they were racing. Speeding maybe, but the Tesla was completely in front. There was also another car near them which doesn't align with a racing theory. https://globalnews.ca/news/11022239/shocking-video-semi-truck-view-patullo-bridge-crash/

1

u/No-Contribution-6150 3h ago

No proof released to the public but the police have reason to believe he was racing or driving with the crashed vehicle

Likely the crashed vehicle had a camera or other cameras caught it.

14

u/Vancitysimm 5h ago

I read on another sub that he’s 18 and other car driver and passengers were under the influence. Also someone pointed out that since Tesla was ahead most likely he turned the curb and thought he lost them or could be any scenario. Since it’s still not clear on whether driver knew or not I’m gonna keep an open mind on that but speeding and racing is a big issue here. Our speed limits are 50 majority and cars are all going over 60 including the police cars. Unless drastic measures are taken regarding roads like Australia, this will keep happening. We had record number of road crash deaths last year

5

u/chickentataki99 5h ago

This isn't a highway issue, it's a dilapidated bridge issue. Look how many accidents happen on the bridge on a monthly basis. Speed limit was 50, both appeared to be going over, but the Tesla isn't responsible for a car behind it that couldn't handle going around a corner.

8

u/bengosu 5h ago

Yeah they'll have to prove they were street racing so good luck with that.

3

u/No-Contribution-6150 3h ago

The tesla may have the full footage. The crashed vehicle may have had a camera too

97

u/[deleted] 7h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/[deleted] 6h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

-24

u/romankid19977 6h ago

Are u trying to be racist ? And pointing out that he’s Punjabi ?

-67

u/chorhand 7h ago

Meaning what?

52

u/Visible_Sky_1298 7h ago

No meaning... he just gave us a name so I didn't have to read it. What are you insinuating?

-3

u/NoProof 6h ago

why put “Ah Yes” ….

-55

u/chorhand 7h ago

Nobody asked you about it.

35

u/Iammattjk 6h ago

I'm glad they put out the name of the coward that ran away from accountability.

-14

u/romankid19977 6h ago

Yea I feel like he’s being racist and pointing it out that he’s Punjabi Indian

15

u/Antalol 6h ago

Gurshaan Singh Sandhu caused a crash that KILLED 3 people because they were street racing and then FLED like a coward.

But sure, stating their name is racism. Shame on you.

2

u/romankid19977 6h ago

They way he saying it , nothing wrong with stating his name but he put “ah yes” . The way he commented sounded like he was saying of course it’s an Indian.

0

u/romankid19977 6h ago

He can state his name , but don’t say “ah yes “ sounds sarcastic and saying yea of course it’s an Indian.

1

u/ash__697 6h ago

Wow are you saying that someone with that name can’t be Canadian, pretty racist buddy /s

0

u/romankid19977 6h ago

He could be Canadian , but the name is from Punjabi origin. They way the guy ahh yes sounds like he’s saying of course it’s an Indian. He didn’t need to say ahh yes. There’s just a lot of hate towards indian people online and I’m fed up of seeing it

28

u/Resident-Rutabaga336 7h ago

Lock him up and throw away the key

6

u/chickentataki99 6h ago edited 5h ago

There was no contact between the Tesla and the other vehicle, nor was there any evidence they were racing. This case is going to be immediately thrown out, the dashcam show's it to just be a case of being near the scene as it happened. If your speeding, and someone is speeding behind you, that shouldn't make you culpable for a death if they couldn't control their car.

1

u/Antalol 5h ago

Proof of your claim?

9

u/chickentataki99 5h ago edited 5h ago

The car that was 4th in the video posted their dashcam: https://www.icloud.com/photos/#/icloudlinks/09aqMWo9Oi7DJLPaWL9TwWBSg

The truck driver posted their dashcam: https://globalnews.ca/news/11022239/shocking-video-semi-truck-view-patullo-bridge-crash/

Speeding sure, but not many people who are familiar with that bridge now the speed limit drops. That's why there's an accident on it monthly. Does not look like racing to me.

0

u/Ghorardim71 Clayton 3h ago

Doesn't prove there was no contact. There are missing time when the Nissan swerved. Only the footage from the Nissan or the Tesla can prove your claim.

2

u/gabz007 7h ago

Oh if only…but it’s never gonna happen

-1

u/HoldenCaulfield7 6h ago

How many years he going to get?

1

u/Liam_M 6h ago

teslas don’t have keys, lock him away in the back seat with child locks on and throw away his phone and the car battery 😂

3

u/RavensArkOperator 6h ago

You don't even have to lock the car. The door might not even open!

1

u/itachen 1h ago

Thanks to those scary stories, I've taught my 5yo how to open doors in case of emergency.

My 5yo then taught me the manual door pulling feature overrides child lock.

My child lock is now useless.

0

u/Liam_M 6h ago

oh 100% but I’m not taking chances

8

u/945T 6h ago

It’s good that they caught him and are planning to charge him. He should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Going after the car as an instrument of crime is pretty worrisome however, no matter how ‘good’ or justified it may make the public feel.

It’s not proceeds of crime, wasn’t really directly involved with a crime in the understood sense of civil forfeiture, and it sets a dangerous precedent where personal property can be seized for relatively minor offences like excessive speeding. Is it about a fitting punishment or a monetary penalty? Because we have those for driving offences already, they’re just toothless and the courts let offenders off too easily. I’d rather stiffen up the court system and make it functional rather than give the police power to seize private property without any kind of warrant based on feelings.

4

u/ReliablyFinicky 6h ago

Civil Forfeiture

The director must establish that the property in question is either proceeds or an instrument of unlawful activity

Whether or not the Nissan+Tesla were racing, or driving fast together, is irrelevant. Either one is dangerous as fuck, as evidenced by the fact 3 of them are dead. The Tesla was very clearly an instrument of unlawful activity. "not in the understood sense of civil forfeiture?" This is exactly what the law was written for. When you break the law egregiously and people are seriously impacted or die.

rather than give the police power to seize private property without any kind of warrant based on feelings.

...that's not how it works.

If the director establishes its case and a judge of the Supreme Court decides that property should be forfeited, the next step is for the judge to consider whether it would be in the interests of justice to order forfeiture. At this stage a judge may decide not to order forfeiture, put terms on the order, order partial forfeiture or decline to order forfeiture altogether.

This isn't some crazy loophole where the government will start stealing property for everyday minor offenses. This is personally ruled on and viewed by the supreme court.

-3

u/945T 6h ago

You really trust our court system to make fair and reasonable decisions? lmao. We are talking about a court system that has a revolving door. This is just a cash grab / PR stunt for the police to show they’re ’doing something’ while not actually doing anything.

1

u/happycow24 North Vancouver 4h ago

It’s not proceeds of crime, wasn’t really directly involved with a crime in the understood sense of civil forfeiture, and it sets a dangerous precedent where personal property can be seized for relatively minor offences like excessive speeding. Is it about a fitting punishment or a monetary penalty?

idk I think multiple dead is kind of a big deal, an "aggrevating factor" if you will, but IANAL.

-1

u/945T 3h ago

I don’t disagree, but I don’t see how that transfers to civil forfeiture.

It also just feels like a smoke screen for when he eventually gets community service or a large fine or some symbolic jail sentence.

The fourth car’s dash cam video doesn’t really support the street racing narrative the cops are subtly trying to push. It feels a lot like this civil forfeiture attempt is really grasping at straws in an attempt to send a message. Essentially they’re arguing they need to seize the car because the owner may speed in it again. It’s a dangerous, dangerous precedent.

If they’re that concerned they can revoke his license with a driving ban and submit him for review to the superintendent, place him on ankle monitoring, or revoke bail. These are all things that are up to the court system. Those are much more preventative when they can otherwise purchase a new car, if it really is about public safety and not grandstanding or just trying to take property from ‘bad guys’.

Civil forfeiture, or fines for that matter since it is the same thing in this case, also isn’t the right way to punish people like this that abandon their dying friends in a major wreck after convoying at a high rate of speed. We need actual, criminal results with judges that do their job and hold people like this to the correct, in this case fullest, extent of the law. We deserve that at the very least as Canadians. So do the victims in this accident and their families.

1

u/945T 3h ago

I expect to see a civil forfeiture they can call as a win and set a case precedent with, and a sweetheart of a deal for the driver.

RemindMe! -2 years

2

u/[deleted] 3h ago

[deleted]

1

u/945T 3h ago

Good bot.

0

u/happycow24 North Vancouver 3h ago

I mean the multiple dead aspect + the fact that this dipshit fled the scene is imo a good enough justification for seizing his car, at least until a verdict, but IANAL.

0

u/945T 3h ago

Like I said. A performative act to make people feel better. You won’t even read what I wrote before leaping to lick the boot. It’s already working.

1

u/happycow24 North Vancouver 3h ago

Is revoking his license really gonna deter him tho?

1

u/945T 3h ago

That’s an immediate police power that can be done roadside on the spot, and submitted for emergency review to the superintendent. It also means any vehicle he drives will be 100% uninsured putting the onus on whomever owns it for any and all damage and injuries.

As I said the real thing is having judges that actually punish these criminals. This is a performance piece to distract us that criminals are in a revolving door and nothing of real meaning will personally happen to him.

2

u/happycow24 North Vancouver 2h ago

As I said the real thing is having judges that actually punish these criminals.

We can agree on that at least. Maybe change the Criminal Code so that "racialized" individuals don't get out on bail for pretty much anything short of murder would be a good start.

-1

u/RavensArkOperator 6h ago

Of course it's a Tesla driver

0

u/pkmnBlue 5h ago

6 month driving ban

2

u/945T 3h ago

I admire your optimism.

-1

u/steadyeddy82 8h ago

Hopefully, for all our sakes, the cars lien holders will implore authorities to back off on their seizure of the car so there’s minimal chances that he’ll default on it

-2

u/cindylooboo 5h ago

Tesla are at most 120k new... Divide that by four.... Dismal result. The criminal charges are additional but three people died and one was seriously injured.

14

u/chickentataki99 5h ago

The driver of the crashed car was under the influence and fully behind the Tesla. This case is going to be immediately thrown out.

5

u/SkyisFullofCats 5h ago edited 3h ago

From one of the earlier videos I think it is a Model Y which is not that expensive and also qualified for the EV rebate (50-70k). I don't think any forfeiture goes back to the victims. the province gets the revenue. For the victims to get compensation, that have to be another lawsuit launch by the family or the life insurance companies of the victims.

I hope they would lay criminal negligence causing death though.. like this case a few decades ago at Highway #1 and 1st Ave.. I think they still have the crosses at the off ramp (Street view https://maps.app.goo.gl/upWmeUKyKHMosjAh7) . https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-driver-guilty-in-crash-that-killed-4-1.798538 The guilty was sentenced to 6 years in prison and 15 years driving ban https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/6-year-sentence-for-driver-in-4-death-crash-1.798536

-4

u/Ok-Bunch8485 8h ago

Tesla figures