Motorist hit cyclist, 12, on Waterloo Region country road, then tricked family into believing he was a witness, not the driver
KITCHENER - A motorist struck a 12-year-old cyclist on a country road and then tricked the boy's family into believing he was a witness, not the driver.
He also took a side mirror that fell off his car in the collision and reneged on a promise to contact police, Kitchener court was told.
After dark last Nov. 23, the man was driving a black 2006 BMW about 80 kilometres per hour when it hit the cyclist from behind on Line 86 near West Montrose in Woolwich Township.
The impact sent the boy into a ditch and temporarily knocked him unconscious, court was told Wednesday. He suffered a concussion.
Family members nearby heard a loud pop and then a child screaming shortly after," said Crown prosecutor Harmehak Somal.
The man, 33, continued driving before deciding to return to the scene. He then realized he had struck a cyclist.
The Conestogo man told the boy's family he was a witness to the collision.
(He) advised the family that he went after the vehicle that hit (the child) and obtained a licence plate number," Somal told Justice Karey Katzsch.
He collected his passenger side mirror that was knocked off of his vehicle as well as telling the family that he would turn over the plate information and the mirror to police."
He provided the family with his first name only and what turned out to be an incorrect phone number.
Family members picked up other pieces that fell off the car, including a section of the mirror that had a part number on it.
The family, described in court as Mennonites, returned to their home, believing police would arrive to investigate.
No emergency services were ever contacted," Somal said.
Later that evening, the man called the family to check on the child's condition and tell them police believed the licence plate was incorrect, she said.
A while later, an unknown person believed to be (the driver) contacted the family, making them believe he was a police officer and he stated that the licence plate was unable to lead them to a suspect."
Two days after the collision, the boy was taken to Grand River Hospital with shoulder pain. It turned out he had a concussion and many bruises and scrapes.
When staff was advised what happened to (the boy), they contacted police to report the incident, believing that the family was tricked into believing the police were coming to investigate," Somal said.
The call by a hospital employee prompted an investigation by Waterloo Regional Police. The child's family showed an officer the car parts they collected at the scene. A piece of the mirror revealed it came from a 2006 to 2008 BMW.
On Nov. 28, five days after the collision, the investigating officer was off duty near St. Jacobs and happened to see a BMW missing the passenger side mirror. The officer spoke to the driver, the same man who struck the cyclist. He denied being involved. He was not detained but was told the investigation was continuing.
The officer went to the boy's residence and got a piece of a headlight lens that fell off the car in the collision and then went to the driver's residence. The lens piece fit perfectly into his damaged headlight.
The man pleaded guilty to failing to remain at an accident causing bodily harm. He does not admit to driving negligently. He will be sentenced in August.
Gordon Paul is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on crime for The Record. Reach him via email: gpaul@therecord.com