Dilpreet Singh’s family and friends have identified him as the victim of a sudden and fatal crash in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood on July 31.
Singh had just turned 26 years old and was driving for Uber around 2 am when his vehicle was struck by a red Cadillac being driven by a 17-year-old. The crash involved three vehicles and sent seven people to hospital in addition to killing Singh.
His family is reeling from the sudden loss, mourning their loved one and searching for a path forward since the young man was the sole provider for his parents and two younger brothers, aged 18 and 20, back in India, one of whom lives with a disability.
“He brought joy to us, to everybody,” his close friend Jashanpreet Brar told Daily Hive.
Brar added Singh was a compassionate person and a dedicated son.
“Ever since he’s been here he’s worked hard as an international student, got his permanent residency, and finally, was trying to get his family here.”
Singh came to Canada in 2015 and studied for an arts degree before working in construction and doing Uber to support his family. He had plans to go back to school for a Master’s degree.
Singh also has a sister, Harpreet Kaur Sandhu, who’s married and lives in Toronto. She’s here in Metro Vancouver and is devastated by her brother’s death. She’s organized a GoFundMe to bring his remains back to India, hold funeral rites, and support their parents and brothers in the interim.
“Dilpreet held a special place in our lives and touched the heart of everyone,” she wrote.
Vancouver police say the Cadillac “broad-sided” Singh’s vehicle, and Brar added that the coroner told him the impact was so sudden he may not have noticed what happened.
“It could be any one of us who gets behind a wheel to work every day,” Brar said.
The family urges anyone with dash-cam footage of the crash to speak with police to aid in the collision investigation.
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