Police try to piece together horrific collision that injured five
cyclists in O
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rt-@queensu.ca
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Jul 23, 2009 04:22 PDT
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Suspect remains in custody
Police try to piece together horrific collision that injured five cyclists
By Andrew Seymour, and Glen McGregor, with files from Nicole Massé, Neco Cockburn and Brendan Kennedy, The Ottawa CitizenJuly 21, 2009 4:03 AM
An Ottawa man accused of running down five cyclists and fleeing the scene will spend at least three nights in jail as police continue to investigate the Sunday morning crash.
An officer with the collision investigation unit was at the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital on Monday interviewing three of the victims to help reconstruct the moments before they were struck down on March Road in Kanata.
One rider remains in critical condition and could not be interviewed.
Police believe a minivan pulled into the bike lane on the northbound side of the road at 7:48 a.m. and collided with the riders before steering back into the vehicle lane.
The cyclists are believed to have been riding in a relatively tight single-file formation in the bike lane, which is clearly marked.
Two of the high-end racing bikes were crushed and possibly dragged beneath the vehicle, police believe. Shattered helmets, broken pedals and other debris were scattered over a 120-metre stretch of asphalt north of Solandt Road. It is unclear if any of the riders was dragged or knocked clear of the vehicle by the impact.
Investigators are also examining a minivan in the police impound bay for signs of contact with the bikes.
The man accused of driving into the cyclists made a brief court appearance Monday.
Wearing blue jail coveralls, Sommit Luangpakham, 45, stood silently in the prisoner's box with his hands clasped in front of him.
Assistant Crown attorney Fara Rupert asked for three more days to liaise with police for an update on the severity of the injuries suffered by the cyclists.
Luangpakham is charged with five counts of failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing bodily harm. Police said more charges are expected to be laid pending the completion of the investigation.
He was charged after turning himself into police Sunday.
His lawyer, Oliver Abergel, told Justice of the Peace Terry Pasch he was opposed to the Crown's request and prepared to seek his client's immediate release for custody.
"My client has no criminal record and no previous involvement with the criminal justice system whatsoever," said Abergel, adding Luangpakham is also employed full-time. Abergel declined to comment outside the courtroom.
Luangpakham's wife and another relative were were seated outside when he appeared in court. Both declined to comment.
Luangpakham works as a machinery operator for Dollco Printing on St. Laurent Boulevard, just south of Walkley Road. He often worked evenings and weekends, according to Bounnom Souphilavong, president of the Lao Association of Ottawa. Souphilavong said Luangpakham could not always attend the association's events because of his work schedule, but he volunteered whenever he could.
"He's a nice guy," Souphilavong said, but added that he wasn't very close to him.
Noulath Sayathat, president of the Wat Lao Buddhist Temple of Ottawa in Kemptville, said Luangpakham came to Canada from Laos about 20 years ago. Luangpakham's neighbours in Kanata said they were surprised to see police Sunday at the two-storey red brick and vinyl-sided home, where Luangpakham lives with his wife and two children.
Gord McBride, who lives across the street, said he returned from his cottage on Sunday to see police at the home. The minivan was parked in the driveway, with its nose in the garage, McBride said.
Neighbours said Luangpakham's wife babysat neighbourhood children, but many said they rarely saw Luangpakham. The family had lived there for about nine years, although their home was put up for sale within the past two weeks, neighbours said.
In asking for the three-day adjournment, Rupert argued the charges were "serious" and that Luangpakham may face additional charges. She added some of the injuries suffered by the cyclists appeared "grave."
Police were unable to speak to Robert Wein, 39, who remains in critical condition at the Civic campus and is heavily sedated after surgery to treat bleeding on the brain and serious lower body injuries. Plastic surgeons were consulting on Wein's case, said his friend, Julie Hakim, a doctor who was supposed to join the group for the ride on Sunday, but overslept. Wein faces a long recovery from his injuries, she said.
Police are also planning to interview 45-year-old Cathy Anderson, who was the last cyclist in the line and, they believe, the first struck.
Anderson is recovering at the Queensway Carleton Hospital after surgery for arm and elbow injuries. She also has a pelvic fracture, Hakim said. "I'm pretty broken up," Anderson told the Citizen, but would not comment further.
Hakim said Anderson told her she recalls only being struck from behind and awaking to the sound of screaming as paramedics treated her friends.
The lead rider in the group, Robert Harland, 44, is recovering well, Hakim said, but doctors remain concerned about head injuries sustained by rider Mark White.
Hakim said her friends had "road rash" on the front of their bodies, suggesting they were hit from behind and flew forward, away from the impact.
A fifth rider, Carleton University student Hilary McNamee, 27, was scheduled for a second CT scan of her head Monday. She also suffered a neck injury and may also have kidney damage, her parents said.
McNamee is in her final semester of a four-year degree in social work.
"She wants to change the world," said her mother, Nancy. "She loves to help people."
The five cyclists were heading from Kanata to Dunrobin to meet up with Hakim when they were hit. They had planned to ride to Pakenham and make a stop in Carleton Place for breakfast before returning to the city. The group has been riding together for about two years after meeting through Soldiers of Fitness, a military-style conditioning program. They run triathlons together and were training for the Army Run in September.
"They're some of the strongest people I know," said Cpl. Mark Nadon, who runs the program in Ottawa. "It's absolutely devastating to us."
A bail hearing for Luangpakham is scheduled for Thursday.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
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Ross Trethewey
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