Driver Who Hit Residential School Marchers Avoids Jail Time

Richard Albert Manuel, 79, will not serve jail time after being convicted of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle for hitting several people during a memorial march for residential school survivors in Mission, B.C. Manuel was sentenced to a nine-month conditional term in Abbotsford provincial court on Monday, which includes a 12-month driving prohibition and curfew.

The incident occurred on June 4, 2022, when Manuel drove his truck into four marchers on the Lougheed Highway near the former St. Mary’s Indian Residential School. Witnesses reported that Manuel made racist comments and threats before fleeing the scene. One victim suffered a concussion and another was hospitalized.

The memorial march, organized by the Crazy Indians Brotherhood, took place amid ongoing national reflection following the discovery of potential burial sites at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in 2021.