Morley mourns 16-year-old hit and run victim
Human remains discovered on Highway 1 west of Cochrane New Year’s Day have been identified as the body of Brittany Bearspaw, a 16-year-old girl from Morley.Angela Anderson
Wednesday January 04, 2006Cochrane Times — After interviewing family and friends of the teen, RCMP determined the teen was walking home from a party along the highway at around 7 a.m. when at least one vehicle hit her and did not stop to help her, but drove off.
“At this time, we’re treating it as a hit and run and we are actively looking for the vehicle that was involved,” said Cpl. Roger Waidson of the Cochrane RCMP.
Another man who was also walking home along Hwy. 1 a short distance away told cops he saw at least three vehicles hit the teen just west of Cochrane near exit 131.
“He saw brake lights and someone manoeuvre around something and was expecting to see an animal on the road,” Waidson said.
The 23-year-old man got closer and saw a body in the westbound lanes. He stayed on the shoulder and tried to flag down motorists with his flashlight, to no avail.
At 7:35 a.m. another passer by notified the detachment, reporting they had seen the body of the deceased laying in the westbound lane of the highway.
RCMP are hopeful that more witnesses may come forward to help identify the vehicle that hit Bearspaw, as the highway was likely busy at the time of the incident.
“Highway 1 is busy 24 hours a day. That day was a holiday, it was sunny, and a Sunday. Dozens of cars went by as we got to the scene,” Waidson observed, adding that much of the traffic at that time would have been ski traffic.
Waidson said officers are in Morley thoroughly interviewing friends and family to determine the remaining details surrounding Bearspaw’s death.
Bearspaw was an avid student, with dreams of becoming a lawyer, and her family is completely devastated by the incident, and is left asking why none of the drivers who hit Bearspaw stopped to help their daughter.
In an interview with a Calgary news source, John Sebo, Bearspaw’s father said, “That’s the part that really gets to us. How can you not feel running over a person?”
He said he and other family members returned to the spot on the highway his daughter was hit and collected clothing and anything else they could find.
All the belongings they found at the site will be buried with Bearspaw, helping to release her spirit to the heavens, Sebo said.
“What I want is closure. I want these people to know what they’ve taken from us,” he said.
If anyone was traveling on Hwy. 1 near exit 131, the Morley exit between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Jan. 1 who may have seen anything suspicious or that may help this investigation, they are asked to call the Cochrane RCMP at 932-2213. |