Family of man who died in Brampton hit-and-run make emotional appeal for driver’s surrender, information

The family of a 32-year-old Brampton cyclist who Peel Regional Police alleged was fatally struck by a pick-up truck is making an emotional appeal for information and for the driver to surrender to officers.

“For me, it’s like losing a part of me,” Shannon Grant, Colin Fisher’s girlfriend, told reporters on Tuesday.

“He was a great person. He loved animals. He loved everything. He loved nature.”

Police said Fisher was riding along Bovaird Drive West between Heritage and Mississauga roads just after midnight on May 2 when it’s believed someone operating a two-toned, 2004 or 2005 Ford F-150 hit Fisher.

Const. Akhil Mooken said Fisher was found at the scene with life-threatening injuries. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

Mooken said major collision bureau investigators found that the vehicle was travelling south into Brampton and was previously seen in Caledon and Georgetown. It was last seen travelling eastbound on Bovaird Drive West.

Grant said Fisher was at her house helping her with her sick dog when he said he had to go home to feed his cats.

“I said goodbye like every other night. I thought I was going to see him in a couple of hours,” she said, adding Fisher’s father called to tell her he died.

“Colin didn’t get a tomorrow.”

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“He was planning to make a skateboarding video this summer and he had some songs picked out, so instead of him getting to make that we had to pick out songs for his funeral,” she said, noting Fisher’s parents were too distraught to speak publicly on Tuesday.

“We all just miss him a lot and are just really upset and sad over this whole situation.”

Kevin Montgomery, a co-chair of Brampton’s cycling advisory committee, said Fisher’s death highlights the ongoing challenges with the perception of safety for cyclists.

“It starts an important conversation about how to make roads safer for cycling,” he said.

Montgomery said while there have been fewer vehicles on the roads recently, he said he believes drivers are taking greater risks such as speeding and not leaving sufficient space for cyclists.

He and others are set to pay tribute to Fisher on Wednesday when they deliver a memorial bicycle to the scene where Fisher was killed.

“Apart from hopefully offer some comfort to the family, it is to remind everyone as well about the responsibility they hold for operating cars on our roads,” Montgomery said.

Meanwhile, Grant and Mooken both had messages for the driver of the vehicle involved.

“We are appealing to the driver: Speak to a lawyer, make arrangements to turn yourself in, and speak to investigators from the major collision bureau,” Mooken said.

“I know you’re probably scared, but you need to do the right thing for Colin, for Colin’s parents, for all his friends, for everybody who cared about him, please you need to contact a lawyer and you need to come forward because you need to be held responsible for what you’ve done… and what you’ve taken away from all of us,” Grant said.

Anyone with information was asked to call Peel Regional Police, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.