'She would be furious this is how her life ended': Mother of woman killed in crash with suspected impaired driver speaks out

The July 2023 crash that killed Abbey Bickell occurred at the intersection of Hastings Street and Willingdon Avenue. (CTV News)

It's been 420 days since 22-year-old Abbey Bickell was killed in a car crash in Burnaby, a stretch full of heartbreak for her family as they not only grieved her death, but anxiously waited for progress in the police investigation. Wednesday, they finally got some good news.

The B.C. Prosecution Service approved seven charges against 32-year-old Kolton Lockyer, including criminal negligence causing death, criminal negligence causing bodily harm, operation at or over 80 milligrams causing death, operation at or over 80 milligrams causing bodily harm, impaired operation causing bodily harm, and impaired operation causing death.

“We’re really pleased with the work and diligence that went into that,” said grieving mother Amanda Bickell.

Police say Lockyer was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that crashed into a Toyota Supra near Hastings Street and Willingdon Avenue in July of 2023.

Abbey Bickell was in the passenger seat of the sedan and was killed instantly, while two others were injured.

The seventh charge, failure to stop at an accident, was from a hit-and-run collision that occurred in Vancouver prior to the fatal collision in Burnaby.

“To lose a child to the selfishness of someone else, heartbreak doesn’t even begin to describe it,” said Amanda Bickell.

“We’ve spent these 420 days having all of these firsts, missing her first birthday when she’s gone, missing the first Christmas when she’s gone,” she said.

“She should be going back to school, she should be graduating, she should be here, but she isn’t,”

The coroner’s report into Bickell’s death shares details of the police investigation, which states the Supra was at a red light sitting in the left-hand turn lane. When the arrow turned green, the vehicle entered the intersection.

At the same time, the Silverado blasted through a red light entering the same intersection at a speed of 135 kilometres per hour, striking the Supra.

Bickell says her daughter lived life fiercely and to the fullest.

“She would be furious this is how her life ended,” said Bickell.

With both provincial and federal elections approaching, Bickell would like to see stricter laws around impaired driving put in place.

“How many more do we have to see die before we make a change?” she said.

The family has set up a memorial fund in Abbey’s honour, which will benefit causes she cared about.

The BCPS says Lockyer turned himself in on Wednesday, before being released with conditions.

He’s scheduled to go before a judge on Oct. 10.

None of the charges against him have been proven in court.