We need to find out what happened so that we can get closure

The parents of 14-year-old Steffan Cruickshank are looking for closure following their son’s death in a vehicular accident on December 26, 2011.{{more}}

They further contend that they are looking to the Commissioner of Police Keith Miller for answers.

Brian and Harriet Cruickshank, parents of the deceased boy say that six months have already passed and they are still being left in the dark.

They are of the view that they are being disrespected by the police.

“We have a big problem…the problem started when my son was knocked down on Boxing Day. He was buried on January 4, and we were looking to hear if they charged the police officer,” Brian told SEARCHLIGHT.

But the couple say that they have not heard anything.

“It’s almost six months and we haven’t heard anything. I don’t even know how it happened: we don’t even know,” mom Harriet said.

“It’s almost as if an animal died on the street and we pick it up and bury it,” she continued.

The grieving mother further contended that the driver of the vehicle, who was then a member of the police force, has never come forward and said anything.

“All of us from the same area; he never come,” she maintained.

Cruickshank said that she was even more surprised when she realized that the vehicle involved in the incident had been released and had been returned to the owner.

“So, I have to deal with that. I have to see him passing in the very same car that killed my son and no one has come forward to talk about what happened, so I can get closure and know how it happened…nothing like that,” she said, adding that the family needed to get some closure by finding out what had happened.

Brian said that immediately following the incident, he and his wife received a call from the police, instructing them that the Commissioner wanted to see them.

He said he went to see Miller in the presence of a lawyer. He said during that discussion the Commissioner told him that the driver of the vehicle did not have a driver’s license.

According to Brian, he was further advised by Miller that the family will have to sue the Police and the Attorney General.

“That’s what he told me in the meeting and that is what we did,” Brian Cruickshank told SEARCHLIGHT.

However, when the first letter was sent to the Commissioner and Attorney General, Brian said that a response was received from the Attorney General, but not from Miller.

In that response from the AG, Cruickshank said that they were told that the suit would have to be filed against the driver of the vehicle and not the AG’s office.

He added that a second letter was sent to the Commissioner in April requesting a copy of the report on the incident and an explanation of what had taken place, so that they could prepare the legal work against the driver of the vehicle.

According to Cruickshank, Miller is yet to respond.

Cruickshank said additionally, the family is still trying to find out what had happened and are wondering why no formal charges were brought against the driver of the vehicle.

He said that he would also like to know why the vehicle involved was released from police custody, while his son’s bicycle is yet to be released to the family.

“They hiding everything,” the father of the deceased boy said.

“We just want to know what happened, because we have been in the dark too long,” mom Harriet said.

The father shared similar sentiments.

“If was somebody in society whose child died, you would ah hear somebody get locked up; they would ah charge them (driver) for driving the vehicle without a license,” he said.

While no charges were brought against the driver of the vehicle, earlier this year, Miller announced that he had fired the officer involved in the Boxing Day tragedy.

“That person is no longer a policeman today, because I believe he acted with gross misconduct,” Miller said in January.

“He acted with gross negligence [knowing] that he was not the holder of a driver’s license to put himself on the road to be involved in what is happening today,” the top cop further stated.

“Because of that, I discharged him from the Police Force. So he is no longer a policeman,” Miller said.

The COP said by virtue of the former policeman operating the vehicle without a valid driver’s license, it meant that the insurance was null and void.

When SEARCHLIGHT spoke with Miller earlier this week, he said the file pertaining to the investigation into Steffan’s death has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions. As for the letter which Brian Cruickshank said was sent to the Commissioner in April, up to press time on Wednesday, the Commissioner was still checking to see if and when such a request had been made. He however, said if such a request had been made, “the matter would be processed”. (DD)