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Remembering A Fallen Friend
September 10, 2009
By Dan Ferguson
As of Wednesday, it had been 72
days since 15-year-old Sanjeeve
Sharma of Surrey died in a car
crash. His family’s grief is still
fresh.
“It’s not better,” father Sanjay
Sharma said.
“Not better at all.”
Sharma was surrounded by dozens
of students at Princess Margaret
Secondary School outside the main
entrance during their late morning
lunch break, most of them wearing
memorial T-shirts or hoodies with
Sanjeeve’s picture on the front.
About 400 T-shirts have been
distributed by friends and family so
far, and there are plans to print
more.
Sanjeeve’s grandparents were
present, too. So was Sanjeeve’s
uncle and a younger cousin.
They had come because Wednesday was also the first full day of classes at Princess Margaret.
Sanjeeve would have been starting Grade 11.
The athletic 6’1” teenager was in a white 1999 Chevrolet Malibu that slammed into a BMW SUV
in a Newton business district on June 29.
Both vehicles were heading south down 128 Street near 82 Avenue at the time.
A 16-year-old boy from Surrey was at the wheel of the Malibu with two passengers – Sanjeeve
and an 18-year-old who was also from Surrey.
The teenage driver of the Malibu was reportedly driving erratically before he hit the BMW, then
slammed into a light standard.
The 16-year-old driver and 18-year-old passenger in the Malibu escaped with what are described
as minor injuries.
So did the three occupants of the SUV.
No charges have been laid to date.
While Sanjay Sharma is frustrated by the wait, he says he has complete faith in the Surrey RCMP
and understands they need to build a strong case.
Meanwhile, he wants to do whatever he can to prevent other families from suffering the same
loss.
In particular, he wants to remind students about the driving rules that require new drivers to
have an adult supervisor sitting beside them who is at least 25 years old and has a valid driver’s
licence.
Those regulations would have applied to the 16-year-old who was driving the Malibu Sanjeeve
was riding in.
“The driver knew the rules,” Sharma said.
“He could say ‘hey man, I’m not supposed to drive you, I could get into big trouble’.”
Working to prevent other deaths will not take away the loss, but it would help a little.
“If we can diminish the pain a millimetre,” Sharma said, holding his fingers slightly apart, “we’ll
take it.”
dferguson@surreyleader.com
© Copyright 2010 Surrey North Delta Leader
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