The mother of an Abbotsford man fighting for his life, following a hit-and-run collision, is thanking the vehicle’s driver for turning himself in.
Now, Michele Lylyk is asking him to be honest about the circumstances of the crash.
“I know you have a mom. You wouldn’t want your mom to be going through what we’re going through. You wouldn’t want to be in the situation my son is in. Can you picture what that would be like if you were in his shoes, or can you picture it if it was your family members going through this?” she told Global News, Saturday.
“I want you to really think about that and be honest with what happened. If it was an addiction or if it was alcohol that played a role, please be honest because this is an opportunity for you to get help.”
Dale Lylyk, a father of six, was struck just before midnight Tuesday at Hillcrest Avenue and Clearbrook Road.
The collision left him with a skull fracture and brain bleed. He has been in an induced coma at Royal Columbian Hospital for most of the week.
Michele said her son underwent a brain scan to check for swelling Saturday. The doctors have begun to take him off medication, though it will take several days for him to wake up from the coma.
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“This is really a critical time right now, because they don’t know if he’s going to make it on his own. They don’t know if when he pulls off all his medications he will survivor, or when they take him off life support if he’ll survive,” she said.
“They said his vitals are stable and he’s young and he’s strong, so I’m holding on to that.”
Abbotsford police say the 24-year-old driver presented himself to investigators on Friday with his lawyer.
“He identified himself as the driver involved and provided a brief statement,” Abbotsford police Const. Paul Walker said.
“We are confident it is in fact who we are here to deal with.”
Walker said the investigation remains open, however, as police speak with witnesses, secure a mechanical inspection of the vehicle, and work to determine if anyone else was in the vehicle.
Police are also monitoring Lylyk’s condition, which could affect what kind of charges they recommend to the Crown, he said.
He described the driver as someone with no prior police record, but who “made a poor choice that night.”
Michele thanked the media and public for pressure she believes led the driver to turn himself in, and said she is grateful he did, despite the consequences.
“I was glad, very glad that they turned themselves in because that’s got to be really scary and overwhelming,” she said. “I thank them for that.
“We’ve just got to work through this. We’ve got to hope for the best and pray for the best for everybody.”
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