'The government has to bring it in': Prepay legislation will end gas-and-dash deaths in Alberta, activist says

Doug DePatiesays he was devastated when he heard an Alberta man was killed during a gas-and-dashlast week in the community ofThorsby,about 70 kilometres southwest of Edmonton.

"It took me right off my feet, I was visibly shaken," DePatietold The Homestretch.

For De Patie, the death of gas station ownerKi Yun Jo, who was killed on Friday while trying to stop a fuel theft, is an all too familiar story.

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DePatiehelped makepay-before-you-pumplegislation toB.C. after his son Grant was killed in a gas-and-dash incident back in Maple Ridge, B.C., back in 2005.

Since the legislation, known as Grant's Law, was introduced in 2008, there have been no gas-and-dash deaths in B.C., De Patie said.

"Not only has there not been any gas-and-dash deaths, there literally has been no gas-and-dashes," DePatieadded.

DePatieis adding his voice to those calling on the Alberta government to introduce legislation similar to Grant's Law, including the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL)which has launched anew campaign calledTime for Pay Before YouPump.

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"Not only does pre-payment save lives it also relieves police resources from investigating 80 to 100 gas-and-dash incidents a week," theAFLsaid ina statement on itswebsite."The Alberta Association of Police Chiefs has passed resolutions in favour of a pre-payment policy."

De Patiesaid gas station ownerscan voluntarily install prepay machines on their pumps, but making prepay at stations mandatory is the right solution to ending gas-and-dashes in Alberta.

"We've got to make it an even playing field for everybody and bring it in," he said."The government has to bring it in."

'Hopefully, we can get something like they have in B.C.'

Police sayKiYunJo was killed whenthe driver of awhite commercial cube van spedaway from theFasGas station inThorsbywithout paying for fuelaround 3:45 p.m.Friday.

As the vehicle was leaving, the54-year-old man was hit while trying to get the driver's attention, police said.

The community of1,000 people only has two gas stations andDeputy Mayor Lloyd Jardine says members of the town councilare"going to take action" and push forthe province to introduce pay-before-you-pump legislation.

"Hopefully, we can get something like that done like they have in B.C.," Jardine said.

OnFacebook, Jo's family has reached out to the community, starting a crowd-fundingpage to collect money to convert the existing gas pumps at the station topre-paidpumps.

Two Alberta gas-and-dash deaths in just over two years

In August,Joshua Mitchellwas sentenced to 11 years in prison for killingMaryamRashidiin a Calgary gas-and-dash theft in 2015.

Justfour months before her death,Rashidimoved to Calgaryfrom Iranwith her husbandto work as engineers in the oil and gas industry.

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After both were laid off,Rashiditook a job as a gas station attendant at theCentexon16thAvenueN.W.

She was only on her fourth shifton June 7, 2015, when she was killed tryingto stop a man who attempted to driveaway without paying for $113 worth of fuel.

Mitchell drove away without paying for fuelin astolen FordF-350.

Rashiditried to stop the fleeing truckby climbing on its hood andMitchell attempted to jostle her off butshe fell under the vehicle, whichthen drove over her, causing fatal injuries.

Calls to the province not returned

On Sunday,Alberta Labour Minister Christina Gray saidthe government is working on policies that should better protect workers in the future, with more information expected later in the fall.

Until there are concrete steps made in Alberta to end gas-and-dashes,DePatiesaid he feels the minister's words are"deflecting."

"I think she has to come out and say what exactly she's doing about pay-before-you-pump," he said."That's the only answer to stop gas-and-dashes and the deaths."

DePatiesaid he has been lobying across Canadafor yearsto getother provinces to introduce prepay legislation.

Hesays calls to bothGray and Premier Rachel Notley have not been returned.

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With files from The Homestretch