One year after 16-year-old Kaydence Bourque died from being hit by a car in a marked crosswalk in Saanich, CHEK News has learned the driver who struck him has been charged.
Margarita Citron was charged with driving without due care and attention at the end of October, according to court records. She made her first appearance in B.C. Provincial Court Wednesday afternoon.
If convicted under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without due care and attention, which is not a criminal charge, Citron faces a fine of anywhere from $100 to $2,000, a licence suspension and up to six months of jail time.
Kaydence got off a bus and was walking home the night of Dec. 6, 2021 when he was struck in the crosswalk on Cedar Hill Cross Road at Merriman Drive, no more than 30 metres from the front door of his home.
He was rushed to hospital in critical condition and passed away from his injuries the following day, having never regained consciousness.
His mother, Crystal, then issued a heartbreaking statement saying she had never felt such pain in her life and didn’t know if she would ever recover.
At the time, police said the driver of the vehicle that struck Kaydence was cooperating with investigators, adding alcohol had been ruled out as a factor.
In the days following Kaydence Bourque’s death, protests were held calling on the District of Saanich to upgrade infrastructure to protect pedestrians.
That plea worked, with the district adding better flashing lights and bollards to slow traffic on Cedar Hill Cross Road. But some advocates say Saanich needs to go even further.
“As we’ve seen in really high-profile crashes like where Kaydence was killed, I think the Saanich public is starting to understand that we do need slower streets in order to protect lives, in order to make our lives better,” said Safer Street advocate Basil Langevin.
Earlier on Wednesday, Crystal Bourque marked the first anniversary of her son’s passing remembering his final, touching act: saving the lives of five others by donating his organs.
“I know you will continue to touch people for a long time to come. You are a true hero. My sweet boy,” she wrote, encouraging others to sign up to donate on BC Transplant’s website.
Citron makes her next court appearance Jan. 4.
Jeff Lawrence
Mary Griffin
