WINDSOR, ONT. -- The man who pleaded guilty in a case tied to the hit-and-run death of Windsor’s Ryan Barron in Vancouver, B.C. in April 2016 has been sentenced to 18 months behind bars and given a one-year driving ban.
On Wednesday, Amanpreet Singh Sohal was sentenced to 18 months in prison and a one year driving prohibition following his Feb. 12 guilty plea to a charge of failing to stop following an accident causing death, the BC Prosecution Service confirmed in an email to CTV News.
“I’m still processing it. It’s actually been a little more difficult than I thought it would be,” said Terry Barron, Ryan’s father, in an interview. “I’m glad it has come down and he will be serving some time anyways for what he did.”
Ryan Barron was just 30 years old when he was hit by a vehicle while skateboarding with a friend down Heather Street near West 54th Avenue early in the morning of April 17, 2016.
The driver left the scene and Barron would later die in hospital of his injuries sustained in the incident.
A charge of dangerous driving causing death was stayed at the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, according to the BC Prosecution Service.
For the elder Barron, the sentence did not go far enough, but he concedes — there may not be any sentence that brings him justice.
“I don’t even know if 18 years would be justice,” said Barron. “I think it’s just more, it’s indicative of a problem we have with our judicial system, I really think for what this individual did.”
Following the incident, the Vancouver Police Department conducted a 32-month investigation before charging Sohal.
The Vancouver man began his 18-month sentence immediately after the judgement on Wednesday.
According to the elder Barron, the sentence brings a sense of finality to the four-year ordeal for his family.
“I don’t think complete closure is achievable but, it helps in the process so just trying to put it in the right perspective as part of your life — it’s something that’s always going to be there,” said Barron.
The young Barron’s untimely death led to an outpouring of support from friends in both Vancouver and Windsor.
The Skate For Barron event in Windsor has sprung up as a fundraiser to build the ‘Barron Bowl’ at Atkinson Park, to add to the west-end skate park he used to frequent. The project has city council backing and will require upwards of $100,000 to be raised.
Terry Barron says that project will now be his focus as the park will serve as his son’s legacy.
“It’s heartwarming to see,” said Barron of the community support. “It tells me that Ryan affected so many people in such a positive way. As a parent, you can only hope as your children go into adulthood that they would have that kind of effect on people and that certainly makes me proud — proud to be his father for sure.”