The parents of 16-year-old Port Coquitlam girl killed in a hit-and-run last month said Thursday they can forgive the driver but are urging him to come forward and admit what he did.
Maggie and Ricky Leung made a tearful plea to the driver in front of a crowd of media Thursday morning at Coquitlam RCMP headquarters.
"You are somebody's father, son or husband. Your loved ones would feel the same as we do if someone they love was suddenly taken away from them," Maggie Leung said, reading from a prepared statement.
"Our family was deeply impacted when our daughter, Annie, was taken away from us in the accident. She was so beautiful and she was our only child.
"We understand it's an accident and nobody wanted it to happen. We can forgive you and we believe our daughter would forgive you as well. Annie was such a kind and loving child.
"We want to hear from you. We need to hear from you."
Annie, a student at PoCo's Riverside secondary school, was walking Sept. 10 at the intersection of Mary Hill Road and Pitt River Road when she was struck, according to witnesses, by a black Ford F150 with a black canopy being driven by an older male with greying hair. As of The News' press time, no persons of interest have been found and the suspect vehicle has not been located, said Coquitlam RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jamie Chung.
A few days after the incident, RCMP released video surveillance which showed a black truck pulling over to the side of the road, across from a parked vehicle. A few seconds later the vehicle pulls ahead slightly and a Caucasian male, wearing a white T-shirt, exits the vehicle. He is seen walking to the front of his vehicle and then walks around and continues toward the intersection where the collision occurred. Approximately 30 seconds later he is seen returning to his vehicle and drives away.
The Leungs also had a message to people who may know the driver.
"We have suffered a tremendous sorry for the sudden loss of our daughter. We would like to encourage anyone who knows anything about the driver, his truck or any information about the accident to call the Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550."
The parents thanked the young man who tried to save Annie's life by holding on to her and calling 911 after she was struck, and also said a special thank you to all those who knew their daughter - and some people who didn't - who placed flowers, cards and kind words at the accident site.
