Two young men have each been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to a fatal hit-and-run in Surrey, B.C. The tragic event happened on January 27, 2024, when a 47-year-old Indigenous man was hit and dragged under a car for over a kilometre. The man later died. The two accused, both 22 years old and Indian nationals, were identified as Gaganpreet Singh and Jagdeep Singh. They are not related. They pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stay at the scene, and indignity to a dead body. The case was heard by Judge Mark Jetté, who shared the full timeline during the sentencing decision.
According to the court, the incident started around 1:30 a.m. Two witnesses driving along University Drive saw a man lying in the road. They tried to speak to him, but he didn’t respond. They parked nearby and called 911. While they were still on the phone, a Ford Mustang came driving north. Gaganpreet Singh was behind the wheel. Jagdeep Singh, who owned the Mustang, was in the passenger seat. A third man, unnamed and not charged, sat in the back. The car hit the man on the road and kept driving. The victim got trapped underneath the vehicle.
The witnesses saw the crash and saw the car stop about 50 metres ahead. One of them ran to the car and saw the two men outside looking under it. They saw the man trapped underneath. Still, the two men got back in the car and drove away with the man still under the car. About 1.3 kilometres later, they entered a cul-de-sac, stopped, and removed the body from under the car. They left it at the roadside and drove away. Police later found the car and arrested both men.
According to facts agreed in court, the victim was still alive for part of the dragging. He died before he was removed from the vehicle. The judge noted that the initial collision itself was not a criminal offense. The man had already been lying on the road when the Mustang hit him. The charges focused on what happened afterward.
The judge said the actions of the two men showed a complete lack of care for the victim. He added that the injuries were horrific and that the case deeply affected the victim’s family and the wider Indigenous community. The victim was a father, a singer, and a Cree Sundancer.
The judge also considered some facts that reduced the sentence. Both men were young and had no past criminal or driving history. They both pleaded guilty early in the case and showed remorse. The sentence includes three years in jail, followed by a three-year ban from driving. Judge Jetté said both men carry a high level of moral blame.
Since both men are not Canadian citizens, they are likely to be deported after they serve their sentence or if they are granted parole. The case has drawn attention for its emotional impact and the serious nature of the crime.
