The household of Matthew Cruz is anxious for justice however uncertain that it may be achieved, even when Akamjot Sandhu is discovered responsible of harmful driving and impaired driving inflicting dying.
“We don’t know if we’re even going to get justice. This guy might do two years. Every day I try to tell people, ‘What’s the new life like? You live with the grief demons,’” Matthew’s father Jack Cruz stated outdoors the Brampton, Ont., courthouse on Thursday.
On Sept. 11, 2021, simply earlier than 12:30 a.m., Matthew was in an Uber on his means house from work and was concerned in a collision. He was pronounced deceased in hospital.
“The thing is, he normally gets a bus home but he took an Uber that night,” stated Zak Cruz, Matthew’s older brother.
The jury heard {that a} black Volkswagen Jetta, which was allegedly being pushed by Sandhu, was going northbound on Winston Churchill Boulevard when it struck the white Subaru that Matthew was in. The Subaru was travelling southbound, trying to make a left activate Burnhamthorpe Street.
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The jury heard within the opening assertion from assistant Crown prosecutor Ryan Moir that they’re anticipated to listen to proof that Sandhu was travelling between 120 and 130 kilometres an hour on the time of the collision. The velocity restrict on Winston Churchill Boulevard is 60 kilometres an hour.
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Moir additionally informed jurors that the readings will present that Sandhu had a minimal of 56 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood on the time of the collision. The readings are additionally anticipated to indicate that Sandhu had 10 nanograms of THC in his blood. Moir stated the proof is predicted to indicate the mixture of alcohol and hashish is roughly 4 occasions the authorized restrict.
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Jurors noticed a videotaped police assertion Thursday that Sandhu gave police on the time of the collision. Within the video, Sandhu admitted to ingesting and smoking hashish that night time, and defined that’s why a person named “Jay” was driving.
Sandhu’s former girlfriend Jasnit Badwal additionally testified for the Crown. She informed the jury that the couple had been at Dave and Buster’s earlier than the collision and have been considering going both house or to Boston Pizza on the time of the crash.
Badwal admitted that whereas in Sunnybrook Hospital after the collision, she informed police {that a} man named Jay was driving. She testified that two-and-a-half months later, she went to a police station and recognized Sandhu as the driving force and stated she was the passenger. She stated she determined to come back ahead to “clear her conscience.”
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Badwal stated she didn’t see Sandhu smoke weed however recalled him ingesting at Dave and Buster’s.
She additionally informed the jury she was in search of $3 million in a civil go well with towards Sandhu and the Uber driver. Badwal stated she spent two days in hospital and suffered a damaged collar bone, a collapsed lung, a hematoma, liver lacerations and cuts to her head, shoulder and chest. She says she continues to endure from nerve harm to her knee.
Throughout cross-examination, Sandhu’s lawyer steered that Badwal was driving that night time. She disagreed.
Sandhu has pleaded not responsible.
The household of Matthew Cruz says there may be now an annual charity golf match in his title, with proceeds going to the Jays Care Basis. Matthew beloved the Toronto Blue Jays.
Final September, whereas being pushed house by Milton after the match, the household was hit by one other alleged drunk driver.
“I broke my sternum. I was off work for six months. Leaving a tournament to remember my son and we get wiped out by another (alleged) drunk driver,” Cruz stated outdoors court docket, shaking his head.
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