Hazel Lenore Hopkins was a woman who lived life to the fullest.
At 76 years old, she had raised eight kids, was well-known and loved in the community of Mission (she was called ‘Ma’), and was one of the founders of the popular Fraser Valley Toy Run. The 27th annual Toy Run is being held today.
“My mom was a very energetic woman,” said daughter Debbie Creelman. “She was just a ball of fire. Very intelligent, a very hard worker.” She was also known for riding her 1967 Harley Davidson Trike around town.
Three years ago on October 16, 2010, Hopkins was killed in a car accident in Mission along with 33-year-old Anthony Shaves.
Hopkins was a passenger in a car that was hit from behind by a Dodge Ram truck. The force of that collision sent the car Hopkins was in across the centre line and into the path of another oncoming car, driven by Shaves.
Creelman said her family waited for three years for justice to be served, but it never came.
The driver of the truck, Steven Lineker, was first charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death and one count of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. However, in May of this year he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of of driving a vehicle without due care and attention and was given a sentence of a $2,000 fine and an 18-month driving prohibition.
Creelman said it has been so painful for her family, and something needs to be done to adjust the penalties for drivers who kill someone. She said her heart goes out to the families of Beckie Dyer and Johnny De Oliveira, who were killed in a crash in Pitt Meadows, also in October in 2010. The driver in that case was acquitted on two counts of dangerous driving causing death.
“Maybe we have to work as a community to get these laws changed,” said Creelman.
She said in the case of her mother’s death, there were too many inconsistencies in the case for him to get off with a fine and a driving prohibition.
Lineker had 14 previous driving offenses. Around the time of the crash it was also determined he made some phone calls, but said he was using a Bluetooth hands-free device. He did stay on the scene however, and there was no evidence to suggest impairment or speeding.
Provincial court Judge Gregory Brown said Lineker had a momentary lapse of attention and the case didn’t deserve jail time.
Creelman said they understand Lineker did not intend to kill anyone, but they feel justice was not served.
“For him to end up walking away, it’s just devastating,” she said.
They want to work with other families of similar tragedies to change the driving penalties.
“We just need to know the things that we need to know to change this,” said Creelman.
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