2- Friday, July 28, (907 - North Shore Nows

ae

NEWS Terry Peters

AGB ssssessseensesirsssenseage odd

_ Ukes....comntry musk, the beach

Dishes.......cicsecophote roger

Places trevelled..........Avstroia,
England, Fronce, Mexico

Future plons............more trevel

1

in park

UNE at
a

WV teen dies

Whytecliff cliff-diving fatality

~. By Anna Marie D'Angelo

News Reporter «
dangelo@nsnews.com

A. 17-year-old West
Vancouver resident
died on Wednesday
while cliff-diving at
Whytecliff Pack near
Horseshoe Bay.

The deceased teenager was
identified’ as Damon Cragg.
Cragg. attended == West
Vancouver secondary school
and was to enter Grade 12 in
the fall. :

He was cliff-diving with
two friends near the park’s
gazebo shortly before 9
p.m. when the accident
occurred,

Sgt. Steve Watt’ -said
Cragg was on his second -
dive of the day when he
attempted to do a flip and
over-rotated. The young
man hit the water on his
stomach after diving from a
height of approximately nine
metres.

The unconscious teen was
rescued from the water by
his friends and two others in
the park, said Wart.

Cragg had stopped
breathing in the water, said
the sergeant.

An effort to resuscitate
the youth was started on the
beach. The Coast Guard cut-
ter Osprey picked up the
youth, who was transferred

. “ta

an — ambulance
Fisherman’s Cove.
Cragg died in the park,
said Watt.
An autopsy was slated to
be conducted yesterday at
Vancouver Hospital.

Justice denied, says son

Prom page 1

charges, but the evidence that is
Uncovered, may Hot necessarily!
prove criminal negligence, hh
this case the direction: af the
hivestiation changed toward a
Motor Vehicle Act charge and
away from criminal “negll-
pence,” Ware said,

Karlier this month, nearly
10 months afer Bjornson’s
death, West Vancouver Police
recommended — to Crown
charges of drivings without dia
care and atention and a bylaw
Inttaction relating toa velicl
being overweight.

Crown counsel concluded
that there is no likelihood af
conviction.

A week following the fatal
crash, investigating motor vehi-
cle inspector fay Northeott
found the soil and rock-laden
truck was overloaded by 4,535
kilograms, He found that four
of the truck's six brakes were
not working properly, ‘Two
were mechanically defective
and two were not properly
adjusted,

But said Watt, “To prove
the brakes weren't working at
the time we would have had to
stop the truck and charge him.”

Crown counsel considers
two general fictors when decid:
ing whether to proceed with
recommended charges,

Said Watt, “Is it in the pub-
lic interest: to prosecute this
case? Because of the number of
accidents we've had on the
North Shore in the last few
years it is clearly inthe public
interest to prosecute providing
the evidence is there fo do so.

“Secondly, they look at: [s
there a substantial likelihood of
conviction,” he said.

Regardless of what police
recommend, Crown has. the
option to examine the entire
potential spectrum of charges.

Said Watt, “My understand-
ing is they did review criminal
charges such as criminal negli-
gerice and other charges under
the Motor Vehicle Act and
bylaw and so on, and they ruled
them all out.”

Josh Bjornson, 23, is left
wondering. “The thing that
upsets me is that obviously
there’s a widespread problem in
the industry, but the Crown is
either unable or not willing to
stand up and make a statement
that. it’s unacceptable.

“The drivers are responsible
for more than their load and

'

their veltlele, There are people's
lives, and they have to take
those responsibilities serdutusly,

Rion Bjornson lett behind
sis chikdren ly awe inariages,
Daniel, Andrew, 33, and
Selena, 3b, are from his fiest
marriage, ‘They are now: lefi
Without frther recourse,

Josh, Arai, 25, and Katrina
13 are pursuing a civil lawsuit
dgitins! West Vancouver, the
truck driver and his employers,

Said Dankel, “Legally the
only person who has aright to
sue is Katrina because she
would have expected seme
amouat of money, whielr is the
only reeagalzed form of!
yenanee i our suciery, So there
h J lawsuit from Katrina and
her family.”

Josh and Daniel no fonger
have faith fir the justice syste,

Said Josh, “The way that
things make sense in the logical

workd mayls dant inke ger
In the legal world." Add
Daniels “Somebody dies a
there iy bo accountability, ze
none, E tnd that hitalerable,'

The past 10 inenths ha
been hellish ones for the flung

“ALL of us are god theou
utter lisbeliet,” sald Dantel,

His five-yearold daughd
Kirin still asks for her grand,
Kjorn, “She understands hg
gone ta somewhere else, by
sive still feels that she can may’
see bins one day. She doest
understand the full con
quences,”

it’s living,
it’s beauty,
it’s a community,
it’s time to celebrate...

oe rN a EES ENR ATT IE

2

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MN . ‘ : ‘ Beh MO
FQe ne aN eee Se DEN SEAT HR EH OT eee RE ee Is

A special supplement of the North Shore News ¢ Sunday, July 27th”.

Cnt wt as

Hazard tree removals —

LYNN VAL

North Vancouver

'

FY S

Mountain Highway

U B.S TATION

When:

Late summer
Where: ©
Corner of .
Rufus Avenue and,
Kirkstone Road. .

‘ .

‘

SA aS
Ce al

Ry :

A

Oak

a

B.C.Hydro is pianning to remove +
diseased mature trees around Lynn -
Valley Substation. These trees are a),
hazard to adjoining properties, a
children’s playground and our
substation.

We are working with the City and
District of North Vancouver andJocal
residents to minimize environinental
impacts and disruptions to the =”
neighbourhood. aN

Hf you would like to learn more about:
our hazard tree removal plan, please
attend our open house on Saturday,
July 26, 1997, noon—3 pm at the
Karen Magnussen Recreation Centre,
Eagle Room. Tours of the hazard'trees
will be available.

If you have any questions, please call
Gene Bryant, B.C.Hydro Community
Relations, at 528-2120.

ir ry ove
BChydro &

north shore

news

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