Kim Bolan
vancouversun.com
Witnesses say the 32-year-old was travelling about 160 km/h
METRO VANCOUVER -- A man closely associated to the White Rock Hells Angels was killed instantly when his Dodge Viper flew off the Trans-Canada Highway in Langley Saturday night, rolled over and pinned him.
RCMP have identified the driver as Jeremy Pinette, 32, of Abbotsford.
Sgt. Peter Thiessen said a Langley Mountie saw the Viper westbound on 56th Avenue "approaching 264st at a very high rate of speed" shortly before the accident about 10 p.m.
"The officer turned around and activated the emergency equipment. However, by this time the Viper was no longer in sight and had now entered Highway One westbound at 264th Street. The officer immediately de-activated the emergency equipment," Thiessen said.
The same officer came upon the accident scene near 248th Avenue "and observed the same Dodge Viper upside down in the ditch with the lone occupant pinned inside," Thiessen said.
He said witnesses at the scene estimated that Pinette's Viper was travelling about 160 kilometres per hour before he hit the ditch.
Pinette grew up in Langley across the street from the White Rock Chapter clubhouse, but was living in Abbotsford at the time of his death.
His home had fortified gates and security cameras, police confirmed.
Records from Abbotsford City Hall show that Pinette had recently received a permit to build a machine shed on the property valued at more than $118,000.
Three years ago, when hundreds gathered at the Hells Angels Langley compound to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the biker gang in B.C., Pinette was one of the designated drivers taking guests to and from their accommodations to the bash.
A Vancouver Sun reporter chatted with him when he left the compound and crossed the street during the event to visit his parents, who live and run a business on 61st, just east of 216th Street.
Throughout the July 2008 event, Pinette's father Roger, who owns Ponds Beautiful, criticized police for blockading 61st between 216 and 224 in order to screen those attending the party.
He said he lost a lot of business as a result of police turning away customers.
When asked at the time about his son's link to the Angels, he said: "He knows them. We all know them. We've been here 30 years, with the clubhouse here for 20 of them. My son grew up across the street from them and cut the Hells Angels grass when he was a kid."
Pinette's sister Monica is an elite athlete who twice competed for Canada at the Olympics in the modern pentathalon.
kbolan@vancouversun.com
Read the Real Scoop at vancouversun.com/bolan
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Hells+Angels+associate+killed+high+speed+crash+Highway+Langley/4897001/story.html#ixzz1OSUAMLOO
RCMP have identified the driver as Jeremy Pinette, 32, of Abbotsford.
Sgt. Peter Thiessen said a Langley Mountie saw the Viper westbound on 56th Avenue "approaching 264st at a very high rate of speed" shortly before the accident about 10 p.m.
"The officer turned around and activated the emergency equipment. However, by this time the Viper was no longer in sight and had now entered Highway One westbound at 264th Street. The officer immediately de-activated the emergency equipment," Thiessen said.
The same officer came upon the accident scene near 248th Avenue "and observed the same Dodge Viper upside down in the ditch with the lone occupant pinned inside," Thiessen said.
He said witnesses at the scene estimated that Pinette's Viper was travelling about 160 kilometres per hour before he hit the ditch.
Pinette grew up in Langley across the street from the White Rock Chapter clubhouse, but was living in Abbotsford at the time of his death.
His home had fortified gates and security cameras, police confirmed.
Records from Abbotsford City Hall show that Pinette had recently received a permit to build a machine shed on the property valued at more than $118,000.
Three years ago, when hundreds gathered at the Hells Angels Langley compound to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the biker gang in B.C., Pinette was one of the designated drivers taking guests to and from their accommodations to the bash.
A Vancouver Sun reporter chatted with him when he left the compound and crossed the street during the event to visit his parents, who live and run a business on 61st, just east of 216th Street.
Throughout the July 2008 event, Pinette's father Roger, who owns Ponds Beautiful, criticized police for blockading 61st between 216 and 224 in order to screen those attending the party.
He said he lost a lot of business as a result of police turning away customers.
When asked at the time about his son's link to the Angels, he said: "He knows them. We all know them. We've been here 30 years, with the clubhouse here for 20 of them. My son grew up across the street from them and cut the Hells Angels grass when he was a kid."
Pinette's sister Monica is an elite athlete who twice competed for Canada at the Olympics in the modern pentathalon.
kbolan@vancouversun.com
Read the Real Scoop at vancouversun.com/bolan
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Hells+Angels+associate+killed+high+speed+crash+Highway+Langley/4897001/story.html#ixzz1OSUAMLOO
