Three men face charges after a high-speed chase ended with a 12-year-old cyclist flung from his bike and seriously injured in a quiet Langley suburb in 2017.
David Alfredo Batista, a 54-year-old Langley man, has been charged with dangerous driving causing bodily harm and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.
Brandon Michael Hoolsema, 29, has been charged with dangerous driving causing bodily harm, and Brady Marcus Hoolsema, 24, has been charged with dangerous driving.
Police believe the Hoolsema brothers, in two vehicles, were pursuing Batista after a suspected theft of tools from a construction site in south Brookswood. Both Hoolsemas had been working on the construction site.
“The young cyclist who was struck has required several surgeries and still has a long road to full recovery,” said Cpl. Holly Largy, spokesperson for the Langley RCMP.
The incident began on Oct. 3, 2017, when two men allegedly stole tools from a construction site in the 21100 block of 32nd Avenue in South Brookswood, fleeing in a Mazda Tribute SUV.
Witnesses reported at least one pickup pursuing the Mazda Tribute north through the residential neighbourhood. Area residents reported the vehicles were both traveling at high speeds, estimating up to 100 km/h at times.
The vehicles were heading north on 204th Street when the Tribute ran a stop sign at 40th Avenue and hit the young boy on his bike. The Ford pickup rear-ended the Tribute and both vehicles slammed into a fence. The SUV’s occupants ran off on foot, according to Largy.
One suspect from the Tribute, Batista, was collared by an off-duty police officer jogging in the area. The other was tracked down by a police dog unit in a nearby residential yard.
Charges were recommended against both men shortly after the incident, almost a year and a half ago. The passenger has not been charged, however.
Largy said that anyone who witnesses a theft should call the police, make good notes, and try to record as much information as possible.
Pursuing a suspected thief can turn tragic.
“A car can become a weapon in a very quick turn of events,” Largy said.
READ MORE: Two arrested after 12-year-old hit in high speed chase
