Sanjeeve Sharma’s parents couldn’t contain their emotions as the teen driver charged in connection with a fatal 2009 car crash that killed their son made his first appearance in court Wednesday.
The accused, now 18 years old, wore baggy jeans and a patterned brown hoodie as he stood before the judge. He cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Tall, with a goatee, short hair and an earring in his left ear, the young man stared straight ahead as he stood briefly before a Surrey Provincial Court judge.
Sanjay Sharma, however, looked right at the accused and called him a “mother f___er,” while Sara Sharma wept openly, clutching a framed photo of her deceased son Sanjeeve.
Sanjeeve Sharma, 15, died in June 2009 when the car he was in slammed into an SUV near 128 Street and 82 Avenue in Newton. Initial police reports indicated speed and alcohol were factors. The driver, who was 16 at the time of the alleged offence, is charged with dangerous driving causing death.
Sanjay, Sanjeeve’s father, had never seen the accused and said he felt nothing but anger upon seeing his face.
“When you see the eyes of the devil, there’s only one emotion,” Sanjay said.
He and his wife have been told the driver had only his learner’s licence at the time of the crash.
The accused, who came to court with his mother and other family members, is scheduled to appear again May 11.
The Sharma family has vowed to attend every court date.
“I want his heart to beat faster every time he sees me,” said Sanjay.
