The "suspicious" death of a man in Surrey is being considered a murder, according to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
Surrey RCMP were called to a residential neighbourhood in the area of 79th Avenue and 123rd Street just after 9 p.m. on Friday night after receiving reports of a car crashing into a tree.
Mounties discovered a man with serious injuries not consistent with a car crash. The man was rushed to hospital, but died shortly after.
The death is now being investigated as a murder.
Two sisters living across the street witnessed the accident, and raced to the scene.
“I was in my room getting ready to fall asleep, and I heard this car come up on the street here. Then I heard a really loud crash,” said Gurlien Sidhu.
Gurlien and her sister Ravneet ran outside, and saw a Honda Accord with steam coming out of the front. When they opened the car door they saw the man, who was muttering something inaudible.
The sisters called police, who told them to remove the driver from the car – and they jumped into action.
“I took out my Kirpon, which is a ceremonial dagger, and I used that to try to cut the seatbelt,” said Gurlien.
“One of my neighbours brought a pair of scissors, so I used that to cut the seatbelt. At one point [the man] gasped in for air, and then he stopped responding to anything.”
The sisters didn’t see any blood or wounds on the man’s body. Paramedics arrived shortly after and took over.
“It was traumatizing,” said Gurlien.
“We didn’t expect to see that,” added Ravneet.
The identity of the victim has not yet been released, but neighbours believe he was in his early twenties.
IHIT is asking anyone who may have information to contact the IHIT information line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or email ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Sarah MacDonald
