A 43-year-old Burnaby man has now been charged in connection with the April 2011 accident where a cement truck collided with a car driven by 26-year-old Mark Holmes of Coquitlam. Holmes, a new father, died at the scene.
Mohammad Abdolmalekpoor, 43, of Burnaby, is facing one charge of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death. Crown counsel approved the charge on June 20.
Abdolmalekpoor also faces four Motor Vehicle Act charges, including driving without due care and attention; driving without reasonable consideration; failure to ensure his vehicle was in safe operating condition; and operating a vehicle without effective service brakes.
The accident occurred just after 11: 30 a.m. on April 19, 2011.
The cement truck was coming down a steep hill on Holmes Street when it ran through a red light at the intersection of East Columbia Street and T-boned Holmes' southbound car through a cement barricade and then tumbled down a steep drop-off into Lower Hume Park.
Holmes was on his way to pick up his wife and infant son, Jackson, for a doctor's appointment.
Holmes' death was a blow to his family and co-workers at Accurate Alarms.
"He was just in my office 15 minutes before," his boss, Tony Oljaca told The Province at the time. "Everybody's in tears; there are two guys upstairs who are just destroyed."
Holmes' common-law wife and mother-in-law work in the same office.
"He was just an all-around good guy," Oljaca said. "He was very gentle and worked really well with others. He would always ask you to come to work with a smile on your face. Just before he left, he was doing a little dance to cheer people up in the hallway on his way out."
The New Westminster Police Department conducted an extensive investigation which included their major crime unit, collision analysis and reconstruction team, and independent experts who were able to assist with the investigation.
Abdolmalekpoor, who is not currently in police custody, is scheduled to make his first court appearance on July 9.
alau@royalcityrecord.com
