{"result":"update_story","description":"<p>The family of a BC pastor killed in a fiery crash near the Peace Arch border crossing says justice hasn&#39;t been served after the man implicated in the death was found not criminally responsible for his actions. <\/p> <p>BC provincial court heard<b> <\/b>that a Washington state man was driving 120 kilometres per hour in May of 2019 when his vehicle slammed into Rev. Tom Cheung&#39;s car, which then burst into flames. <\/p> <p><img alt=\"&lt;who&gt; Photo Credit: Canadian Press&lt;\/who&gt; Athens Cheung, left, speaks about her late husband Rev. Tom Cheung, who died in a fiery car crash at the Peace Arch border crossing in 2019, as their sons Benjamin Cheung, centre, and Solomon Cheung, right, listen during a family news conference with community advocates, in Richmond, Friday, May 9, 2025. \" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"\/files\/files\/images\/0b447495-8edf-462b-822d-f4dcafe17372.jpeg\" style=\"margin: 5px;\" \/><\/p> <p>Cheung&#39;s widow, Athens Cheung, said on Friday that after six years of waiting for a trial, the accused, Gurbinder Singh, was found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder. <\/p> <p>Her son, Benjamin Cheung, says his family was at the court on April 17 when the judge made the ruling, and the man was released. <\/p>\n\t\t<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1515615292703-0\" class=\"dfp-ad dfp-in-content\" style=\"margin-bottom:15px;\">\n\t\t<script>\n\t\t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(\"div-gpt-ad-1515615292703-0\"); });\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t <p>The family says they don&#39;t understand why he was simply freed, they were never given the RCMP report, don&#39;t have the reasons for judgment and don&#39;t know why the BC Prosecution Service rejected an appeal. <\/p> <p>The prosecution service said in a statement Friday that the judge ruled the Crown had proven the physical act that constitutes offence beyond a reasonable doubt but that the accused had raised a reasonable doubt regarding the &quot;mental intent&quot; of the man&#39;s actions and therefore acquitted him.<\/p> <p>&quot;We are reviewing the reasons for judgment, but generally speaking, appellate courts are quite hesitant to overturn a trial judge&rsquo;s findings of fact,&quot; read the statement. <\/p> <p>The family is urging lawmakers to fix gaps in the legal system, saying that years of waiting without answers has left them in pain and feeling like their rights weren&#39;t heard or respected. <\/p> <p>The BC government said in a statement that Attorney General Niki Sharma would be open to meeting with the family and understands &quot;the importance of hearing directly from those impacted by the justice system.&quot;<\/p> <p>&quot;This is an incredibly tragic case. Our thoughts are with Pastor Tom Cheung&#39;s family and the community during this difficult time, and we appreciate how frustrating their circumstances have been,&quot; the statement from the Ministry of Attorney General said. <\/p> <p>The eldest son, Solomon Cheung, said the years that followed his father&#39;s death left him to battle with grief and depression. <\/p> <p>&quot;I paid out of my own pocket for counselling, and medications to help me sleep through all the stress and pain.&quot;<\/p> <p>He said he won&#39;t give up on the fight to seek justice for his father. <\/p> <p>&quot;Whether through advocacy, awareness, or legal reform, I want to ensure that my father&rsquo;s story is not forgotten, and to anyone else who has endured a similar pain &mdash; you are not alone,&quot; said Solomon. <\/p>","title":"Family of BC pastor killed in crash angry as driver found not responsible"}