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Father of 12-year-old boy struck by alleged drunk driver in Langley speaks out

Click to play video: 'Father of 12-year-old hit by alleged drunk driver speaks to Global News.'
Father of 12-year-old hit by alleged drunk driver speaks to Global News.
WATCH: The father of a 12-year-old boy who was sent to hospital after being hit by an allegedly drunk driver is speaking to Global News. Jill Bennett reports – Sep 20, 2019

Tony Brown says he has been living a nightmare since his 12-year-old son Jesse was struck by a vehicle while walking home from school a week ago.

“His jaw was broken on both sides,” Brown said. “Most of his facial bones were broken. He has broken bones in his back. His arm is broken.”

RCMP say the vehicle that hit Jesse was found a short time later. Police allege the 19-year-old male passenger was trying to hide the dark blue Nissan Pathfinder. He and a 29-year-old woman were arrested, both suspected of being impaired. Police say both people may have been driving the vehicle throughout the day.

WATCH (Sept. 14, 2019): Boy fighting for his life after being struck by a car in Langley

Click to play video: 'Boy fighting for his life after being struck by a car in Langley'
Boy fighting for his life after being struck by a car in Langley

RCMP believe the Pathfinder travelled across a large swath of Metro Vancouver before being involved in two hit-and-runs, saying it may have gone through Aldergrove, Walnut Grove, downtown Vancouver, North Vancouver and finally Surrey before returning to Langley where an 18-year-old was clipped near Langley Secondary School before hitting Jesse.

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“They have both been released from custody and the investigation now continues on,” Cpl. Holly Largy of Langley RCMP said. “There is obviously a number of different scenes, collision scenes.”

Brown has written to several politicians saying he wants to see tougher penalties in impaired driving cases.

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“If an impaired driver hits somebody and kills somebody that should be automatically manslaughter,” he said. “If they hit somebody and injure them it should be attempted manslaughter. That’s what the laws need to be changed to.

“If we can change the laws maybe we can stop this from happening to somebody else’s child.”

Jesse remains on life support at BC Children’s Hospital.

Brown hopes there are more witnesses and possibly someone with dashcam video of the crash who can help Langley RCMP with the investigation.

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