Charles Masala was 'loved, admired, relied on,' impact statements reveal, as his hit-and-run killer is jailed

When you learn who Charles Masala was, it's natural to want to throw the book at the hit-and-run driver who killed him.

At least, that's what Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Reginald Harris said would be the "visceral response" to the 53-year-old's loss.

"However, such a response would not bring Mr. Masala back," Harris wrote last week as he sentenced Sumeet Mangat to 30 months in jail.

"Nor would it ease the grief felt by those who knew him."

'Community helpless, hopeless, and stranded'

Mangat struck Masala as the then-22-year-old sped along the road up Burnaby Mountain on June 29, 2019.

Masala was on a bicycle.

Mangat was drunk — his blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit.

Harris learned of the mark Masala left on the world through 30 victim impact statements from "those who loved him, admired him and relied on him."

The letters came from as far away as Zambia, where Masala grew up as one of 10 children in a family he still supported. He also founded a non-profit organization to build a school and a medical clinic in the community.

The chief of Masala's village wrote that his death "has left the community helpless, hopeless, and stranded."

Evidence of his legacy also came from the wife who mourns him, Michelle Masala, who finds herself struggling to breathe amid grief, asking "who will show her daughter how to be treated in a relationship and who will teach her son what it means to be a Black male in today's world."

"He was a civil engineer and he had two master's degrees, he was an avid cyclist, he was a father, a husband, he was a friend to many, and he was a visionary," Harris wrote.

"Innumerable persons were impacted by his loss."

'Death was instantaneous'

Mangat grew up in a loving family and had been taking pre-engineering classes at the time of the accident.

He was working at an automobile dealership and was seen drinking from a can of vodka on the morning of the day Masala died. He had a text argument with his girlfriend and asked a fellow employee to go with him for lunch.

The two men sped up Gaglardi Way toward Simon Fraser University with Mangat behind the wheel.

He was passing a car in the right-hand lane of the two-lane roadway at 90 km/h — 30 km/h over the limit — when he strayed into the shoulder.

"Then, and while a portion of his vehicle was on the shoulder, Mr. Mangat struck Mr. Masala, who was cycling uphill," Harris wrote.

"Mr. Masala was hit from behind and thrown onto the hood of Mr. Mangat's vehicle ... Mr. Masala suffered a skull fracture, multiple bone fractures and his death was instantaneous."

Mangat's passenger had his head down at the time of impact and panicked. Mangat kept driving up to a parking lot where they inspected the damage. The car became inoperable and a security guard noticed bike parts trapped underneath.

Mangat's eyes were glossy and his speech slurred when police arrived. He had difficulty standing.

"In fact, he was so unsteady that he needed to lean on the officers for support," Harris wrote.

'Cowardly at best'

The Crown wanted a three to four year sentence with a 10-year driving prohibition for impaired driving, to be served concurrently with a nine to 12 month sentence for leaving the scene of an accident.

Mangat's lawyer asked for a sentence of two years less a day, which would have kept him out of a federal prison.

Harris called Mangat's degree of responsibility high. He was a novice driver which prohibited him from having any alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

And he had also been involved in two other alcohol-related driving "events" in 2016 and 2018. In fact, charges were sent to Crown in 2018 after he hit a lamppost, but they were not approved.

The judge ultimately settled on a 30-month prison sentence for impaired driving to be served concurrently with a 15- month sentence for leaving the scene of an accident.

"Mr. Mangat's behaviour displayed a cold and calculated disregard for the life of another human being. Simply, and only to avoid the consequences of his behaviour, Mr. Mangat fled the scene thereby leaving a human soul at roadside," Harris concluded.

"Mr. Mangat's actions related to this offence were cowardly at best."