Charges have been approved against a man following a police investigation into a fatal collision that took the life of a 23-month-old girl in downtown Vancouver last summer.
Seyed Moshfeghi Zadeh, 30, has been charged with dangerous operation of a conveyance causing death and dangerous operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm.
The victim’s mother spoke about the charges on Thursday.
“I felt a sense of relief and excitement. I sat on the edge of my bed and put my head in my hands and thought, ‘Thank god, this is happening,’” Star Joinson said.
Joinson said going through ICBC and trying to get compensation has been an extremely stressful process.
“We couldn’t do anything because of ICBC’s fault system,” Joinson told Global News.
“We couldn’t seek compensations or losses unless this guy was criminally charged. And even with being criminally charged, it still doesn’t allow us to seek anything until he’s convicted.
“But it’s a start and it’s better than where we were.”
Joinson’s partner and Ocean’s father, Michael Hiiva, was previously reported to have sustained life-altering injuries from the collision.
Joinson said Hiiva was confined to a wheelchair for more than six months and has been on crutches since.
“When he was injured and hit by the car, he had broken his arm, had a collapsed lung and a couple ribs broken and a lacerated spleen and had metal rods inserted in his leg and arm,” Joinson said.
“He’s finally out of the wheelchair and is now on crutches.
“I just want to thank everyone that donated to our Gofundme. It helped us so much.”
Police said Zadeh was driving a black Ford Escape when it collided with a black McLaren in the intersection of Smithe and Hornby streets just after 6 p.m. on July 6, 2021.
The Ford Escape then mounted the sidewalk and struck Hiiva, 31, who was carrying his young 23-month-old daughter, Ocean.
The child died at the scene, police said.