Surrey’s Amarpreet Kaur Sivia was a cool high school kid who loved playing soccer, volleyball & listening to music on her i-pod. On Wednesday, this sixteen-year-old from Princess Margaret Secondary was crossing the road next to her school with two classmates when a motorcyclist crashed into the three of them and turned everything upside down.
Amarpreet Sivia was killed in the crash while her two classmates—Jaspreet Dhami and Shahana Samira Ali—were injured. Jaspreet is still in hosipital with severe injuries.
The accident took place when the girls were jaywalking across the southbound lanes of 129th Street near 69A Avenue.
RCMP reported that it appeared the motorcycle was travelling in the slow lane when it changed lanes around a vehicle and then hit the three students.
The Grade 12 students were holding hands and had crossed the northbound lanes successfully, waiting on the median before stepping out and getting hit.
Area residents reported that students frequently jaywalked at that section to quickly reach strip mall stores on the other side during school breaks to buy slices of pizza and samosas.
Several shop owners have called for a crosswalk in the area in the past.
After the crash there were heavy hearts at Princess Margaret Secondary School in Surrey.
Many students had to walk past the same site of the accident on their way to school the next day.
“She was a very nice girl, kind to everybody, a leader in the school… someone that people could rely on. It’s very shocking,” said a classmate of Amarpreet.
She said the tragedy goes to show how badly a crosswalk is needed somewhere between 72nd and 68th Avenue for the students.
In her profile on the internet Amarpreet had written:
A Little About Me… My favorite technology is my iPod. I can take it anywhere with me. I can listen to music with it. Where I’m From… My parents are from India. I was born in Surrey Memorial Hospital.
My birthday is on November 12, 1996. This Summer I went to summer school, here at PM. It was cool because I made new friends from other schools.
Meanwhile, Surrey RCMP spokesman Cpl. Bert Paquet said Friday that the motorcycle driver has been released from the Vancouver General Hospital and is recovering from bruises and injuries.
Sivia’s two friends were taken to hospital with serious injuries. Ali was treated for an arm injury and released. Dhami had surgery at Royal Columbian Hospital on Thursday, where she was upgraded to stable condition. Dhami’s father Ravinder said his daughter had suffered a broken collar bone, pelvis, back and nose, organ damage and a fractured skull in the accident.
A candlelight vigil in memory of Amarpreet Kaur Sivia will be held at Gurdwara Nanak Singh on Scott Road Surrey on Sunday September 22 at 6 pm.
