The family of a 25-year-old man fatally injured in a Spruce Grove hit and run says he was just trying to help his mom get her stolen vehicle back.
RCMP in the city west of Edmonton said it received a report on Friday just before 7:30 a.m. of a Ford Edge SUV being stolen from a home near Springwood Way.
A man from the home followed the stolen vehicle as it fled north, RCMP said, adding “an interaction” occurred less than a kilometre away, near the 7/11 convenience store at Spruce Ridge Road and Jennifer Heil Way.
The man was hit by the SUV and critically injured. He was identified by family as Jordan Hamelin.
Sonia Hamelin, the owner of the vehicle and Jordan’s mother, said she had started the vehicle and went back inside to grab her coffee and purse.
She said she went back outside and the vehicle was gone, but at first, assumed one of her kids or their father had taken it to the nearby 7/11 — until she realized they were both still in their bedrooms.
“I said, ‘Jordan someone just stole my vehicle.’ He just kind of sprung out of bed and goes ‘What?’ I went upstairs, and by the time I was upstairs, he was already out the door.”
Sonia said her son got into his vehicle and drove away before anyone else in the family could follow him.
“He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t ask for help, doesn’t want any help. He’s always there to help.”
Not too long afterwards, Sonia called 911 to report her vehicle stolen. She says she quickly received a call back from police.
“The RCMP phoned me and told me that my vehicle was involved in a hit and run at 7/11,” she said.
Sonia and her family rushed over to the intersection, not knowing Jordan had been injured.
“Farthest from my mind was my son — being the person that went to go help.”
Sonia said witnesses told her Jordan attempted to reach into the stolen vehicle, but the person driving it sped off, injuring him in the process.
“We saw his sandal there and a puddle of blood,” she said.
Hamelin was taken to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton in life-threatening condition. His family said he suffered a critical head injury.
“We came to the hospital and they said his brain had swelled up too much for them to do any kind of surgery,” his mother said, adding there was no chance of survival.
“His head was so swelled up. He didn’t look like my brother anymore,” his sister Jynelle Hamelin said through tears.
“I just wish it never happened. I wish this was all a dream. When I woke up, I thought it was just a bad nightmare. It’s just never going to end now.”
Hamelin was taken off life support and died on Saturday after his family gathered at the hospital in the morning to say their goodbyes.
“I love my brother for trying to help my mom – I love him because he always helps everybody else before himself,” Jynelle said.
The family said Jordan’s funeral will be held in Peace River. A GoFundMe was launched to help cover costs.
Police said the suspect fled the area and was last seen heading east on Hawthorne Gate in the stolen vehicle: a 2010 red Ford Edge. It was recovered later Friday in Spruce Grove, RCMP said in an update this weekend.
Police said Saturday they charged Cody Marcel Young, 30, of Edmonton, with dangerous driving causing bodily harm, failure to stop after an accident resulting in bodily harm, theft of a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle while prohibited.
“Parkland RCMP in consultation with the office of the Crown counsel will review the charges in this matter,” RCMP said in a news release on Saturday.
Young is in custody, set to appear in court on Oct. 27, RCMP said.
– With files from Kaylen Small
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