Man dies in heroic attempt to save $52.00

[Sin]

There was a similar case around here not all that long ago...

"A young gas station attendant in suburban Vancouver was brutally killed by two teenagers, who ran over him and dragged his body for over seven km when he asked them to pay up $12.30.

Grant De Patie, 24, was killed earlier this week while at work at an Esso station run by an Indo-Canadian businessman in the suburb of Maple Ridge, the South Asian Observer reported.

The two teenagers, a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old whose names have not been released, have been arrested. Police said they were familiar with the elder of the duo.

According to police, the incident took place when a stolen white 1990 Chrysler LeBaron pulled into the station shortly after midnight. The teenage driver put $12.30 worth of unleaded gasoline into the car and began to leave without paying. De Patie put himself in front of the car and refused to move until the driver paid up.

A police statement said the driver ran over De Patie and dragged his body under the car over a circuitous 7.5 km route. The lifeless body was finally dislodged from under the car in Albion."

That was in March of this year... it makes me sick to think of the heartlessness it would take to run directly over a man standing facing your car...

Despite their grief and shock, the De Paties say they have empathy for the teenager accused of killing their son.

"You can't point a finger at this child. He's the product of the community and of neglect," said Doug De Patie.

The community can no longer turn a blind eye to young people who steal cars or engage in other criminal behaviour, added De Patie.