The family of a teenage longboarder killed two years ago by a hit and run driver near Penhold has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Innisfail RCMP.
Trystan Sorensen, 18, was killed by a motorist on May 20, 2014 while longboarding with a friend along Highway 592, west of Penhold.
Jessica Masyk, 27, of Penhold, later turned herself into police and was charged with failing to remain on the scene of a collision in which a person dies, public mischief and driving while suspended. On Aug. 19, 2015 Masyk pleaded guilty in Red Deer provincial court to all charges and was sentenced the following December to a total of 16 months in prison, fined $1,000 and suspended from driving for two years.
On May 17 of this year, the deceased teen's mother Amy and older brother Harry filed a $5 million lawsuit against the local detachment.
“We don't know for sure if we are going ahead with it (the lawsuit). We were buying some time. We're weighing the pros and cons,” the mother told the Province in an interview on June 3. “You have to file it within two years of the accident or you can't do it at all. That gives us another year to make a decision and to get the information that we need to make that decision.”
The statement of claim filed by the mother and brother alleges there were “multiple contradictions” in police reports, that RCMP failed to check lighting conditions at the scene and failed to do a full and complete collision/accident reconstruction “as expected in the event of severe injury or loss of life.”
The allegations contained in the statement of claim have not yet been proven in a court of law.
Along with seeking $5 million in compensation, the family also wants a “full admission of negligence and lack of investigative effort” by the RCMP, a formal apology in person, and a new and complete investigation, including a reconstruction of the accident by a reconstruction expert.
When asked whether the family has hired a lawyer, the mother said that information was “personal at this time” and did not wish to disclose details.
Innisfail RCMP was contacted on June 3 about the lawsuit and directed the matter to RCMP Cpl. Laurel Scott, a media relations officer at K Division headquarters in Edmonton.
“I don't have any information to give you. I've put a message out and a request for some information,” said Scott about the lawsuit. “We don't have details on it right now.”
Meanwhile, the mother of Trystan Sorensen said she and her family have at times found it difficult since the teen's death two years ago but are doing the best they can to move on with their lives.
“It's up and down. There's days where it's just overwhelming and then there's other days that just float by,” she said. “A lot of the things that happened are still very disturbing to us. We're still trying to figure out why she (Jessica Masyk) wasn't charged with things like conspiracy and negligence.”
With files from Johnnie Bachusky.
Amy Sorensen
"It's up and down. There's days where it's just overwhelming and then there's other days that just float by."
