Diwali Tragedy In Calgary

A sad, sad Diwali story from Calgary.

Calgary crosswalk fatality raises safety questions
Alderman to look into crossing lights

BY GWENDOLYN RICHARDS, CALGARY HERALD
OCTOBER 19, 2009 6:45 AM

Members of the Calgary Police Service traffic unit investigated a fatal accident at 64th Avenue NE and Martingrove Drive NE Saturday night. A male pedestrian was hit while crossing the road in a marked cross walk. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Photograph by: Colleen De Neve, Calgary Herald
CALGARY - Manjit Pohar was only steps from home when his life was cut short Saturday night.

The 52-year-old was walking home after attending celebrations at the Gurdwara for Diwali--the festival of lights -- when he was struck by a car while crossing at a marked pedestrian walkway around 8:30 p. m.

The yellow house he shared with his wife, four adult children and two grandchildren is only a few metres away from the edge of 64th Avenue N. E., which he was crossing when he was killed.

As his loved ones mourn the loss of the kind and helpful man, the alderman responsible for the area where the crash happened said he will look into the possibility of installing a lighted crosswalk at the intersection, which has been the site of other pedestrian collisions.

"This is something that has caused me to say,'We need to look into this and do something immediately if we can,' " said Ald. Jim Stevenson, who spoke with Pohar's family on Sunday.

He said he has heard of previous collisions at the site and will have his staff compile pedestrian and traffic counts for the crossing. He also said he will see if a lighted crosswalk is already on the list of priorities and whether it can be moved up.

"It's a very busy road," Stevenson said.

In March, a man in his 20s was left in life-threatening condition after he was hit by a westbound car at the same crossing.

Gurinder Dhanoa, who lives a few houses down from the T-intersection, said there was another crash three months ago when a pedestrian was hit.

"We can prevent these accidents if they install pedestrian lights," he said.

Dhanoa and his father-in-law were about to head over to the Dashmesh Culture Centre to watch the fireworks Saturday when he saw the emergency vehicles and small crowd gathered by the crosswalk.

As he moved closer, he could see a turban on the road, a lone shoe and a plastic bag containing prasad--holy food given out by the Gurdwara. Another few metres east, he saw the fatally injured Pohar.

"I can't forget his face. It's so hard," he said.

Pohar had decided to walk home earlier than the rest of the family so they could stay and enjoy more of the Diwali celebrations.

When they arrived home a short time later, they saw all the flashing lights.

But it was only after they went inside and discovered Pohar was not at home that they began to fear the worst, said family friend Sony Sharma.

Police said one vehicle had stopped at the crosswalk and was waiting for Pohar to finish making his way across 64th Avenue when an eastbound car driven by a 23-year-old man passed the stopped vehicle and hit the man.

The investigation, which will look at whether speed, drugs or alcohol are factors in the crash, is still ongoing.

Pohar was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries.

Only metres from the scene, family and friends gathered Sunday to remember him.

The muffled sounds of grieving could be heard from the living room of the home Pohar shared with his wife and four children--daughters Gurdeep and Sandeep and sons Gurpreet and Harpreet--Gurdeep's husband and their two children.

Pohar and his wife moved to Canada from India four years ago after their eldest daughter, Gurdeep, sponsored them.

His daughter, Sandeep Pohar, said her father was always helping the entire family, sending money back to relatives in India and supporting his wife by working as a cleaner in a downtown office building.

"He was so kind," she said.

"I can't get my dad back," she added, eyes welling with tears. Link