A grief-stricken family was ready to forgive the man accused in a fatal collision until he eluded investigators, leading police to issue a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.

Navjeet Singh, 25, of Brampton, Ontario, was charged Wednesday with two counts of dangerous driving causing death and a single count of obstructing a peace officer.

Police said Singh was driving a tractor-trailer when it crossed an intersection near Altona last week and struck an SUV, killing Sara Unger, 35, and her daughter Alexa, eight.

“It’s such a reorientation of our attention. It’s so unnecessary. I thought this man must feel guilt, remorse,” said Suzy Thiessen, the victims’ sister-in-law and aunt.

“We want to forgive, but now he’s escaping and it’s so hard… to think he wants forgiveness when he’s not taking responsibility.”

Singh was taken to hospital after the crash, but was treated and released before giving a statement to police. Investigators scheduled a meeting with him later, but he did not show up, RCMP Sgt. » declared Paul Manaigre on Thursday.

“Someone might ask us, ‘Why didn’t you hold it?’ Well, we don’t have the legal right to do so,” Manaigre said.

“When there are deaths, you want to make sure your investigation is robust when those charges are filed. You don’t want to do all this work and then lose it all in court.

Singh was expected to stay in Winnipeg with a friend while RCMP investigated the crash site and the possibility of criminal charges, but police lost contact with him in recent days.

Investigators spoke to his friend, who said Singh left to speak with a lawyer and never returned, Manaigre said.

It is unclear whether Singh has retained an attorney, he said.

Police are unsure whether Singh is in the Winnipeg area or whether he may have fled the city and province. He is the subject of a Canada-wide arrest warrant, meaning any peace officer in the country can legally detain him.

Police said Singh held a valid Ontario driver’s license. They did not confirm whether he was a Canadian citizen.

His citizenship status, driving record, qualifications and training will all be part of the investigation, Manaigre said.

Police said early on that charges were expected in the crash, which occurred at the intersection of provincial highways 201 and 306 shortly after 7 p.m. on Nov. 15.

Police said Singh was heading east on PR 201 when he ran a stop sign and crashed into the southbound SUV driven by Sara Unger. Police said she died at the scene, about 8 miles west of Altona.

Her daughter, the only passenger, died after being airlifted to the Health Sciences Centre.

A woman who was traveling behind the Ungers’ SUV told investigators the truck appeared to be traveling at a high speed, police previously said. Both provincial highways have speed limits of 100 km/h in the region.

PR 201 has yellow rumble strips and warning signs in both directions instructing drivers to slow down and stop at the intersection.

“Sara was an extraordinary woman,” Thiessen said, through tears.

“You were never welcome at her house. You would come in at any time and she would be doing something in the kitchen with the family, she would greet you with a smile,”

The mother of two leaves behind a 10-year-old son and her husband Peter Unger, Thiessen’s brother.

She was very involved in her Christian faith and led Sunday school programs at her church, Thiessen said.

“Alexa was a bit of a fire breather,” she said, describing her niece.

“She was sassy, ​​full of energy and always ready to give anyone a hug. She was a very independent little girl, she had her own thoughts and wasn’t afraid to express them. She was just always full of laughter. She loved princess things and was just a girl-girl.

The Ungers are coping with their grief day by day, with the support of their Rhineland RM community, she said.

A online fundraising raised nearly $17,000.

Community members help prepare food, organize funerals and buy clothes for the family, she said.

“I feel like God took two angels, but in return he sent an army to Peter,” she said.

“He asked me, ‘How can I raise this child alone?’ I said, no. You were never meant to raise a child alone. You have an entire community and family who will help you every step of the way.

The family asks Singh to take responsibility.

“What we want is just for him to come and show he’s sorry,” Thiessen said.

A spokesperson for Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure’s traffic engineering branch said it would review the intersection as part of a standard review of fatal collisions, “with a particular focus on road safety features, signage and sightlines to determine if improvements are necessary.

Rhineland Reeve Don Wiebe said local officials would advocate for larger stop signs, flashing lights or “whatever it takes” to make the intersection safer.

Wiebe said Peter Unger is a firefighter in the area and his family is well known.

Thiessen said his brother and father also had experience as truck drivers.

The collision, which is one of the latest tragedies involving semi-trailers on Canadian roads, has raised concerns about the qualification and training requirements expected of haul truck drivers, she said, adding that Perhaps it was time for government officials and industry leaders to revisit regulatory and oversight standards in the industry.

“How many wives, how many daughters, how many sisters have to die for things to go right? » she said.

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Tyler Searle
Journalist

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free pressThe city office. A graduate of the creative communications program at Red River College Polytechnic, he has written for the Tribune of Teulon of Stonewall, Selkirk Record And Express weekly news before joining the journal in 2022. Learn more about Tyler.

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