Friends of a Calgary mother, who was killed during an attempted gas & dash in 2015, gathered at her gravesite outside Calgary on Mother’s Day to honour her memory and call for changes to the way service stations conduct business in Alberta.
Maryam Rashidi Ashtiani was killed on the job in June of 2015 while attempting to stop a motorist who had failed to pay after filling the tank of a stolen pickup truck. Joshua Mitchell, 22, was convicted of manslaughter in connection with the fatal incident.
On Sunday, dozens of Ashtiani's friends held a memorial service at her burial plot, lining her grave with flowers and candles.
The 35-year-old was a chemical engineer in her native Iran before moving to Calgary in pursuit of a better life for her young family. Ashtiani had been an employee of the Centex service station in the 1700 block of 16 Avenue Northwest for mere weeks and many are now calling for changes to Alberta’s legislation on prepaying for fuel at gas stations.
“Every time I drive to B.C. (prepaying) is mandatory,” said Mostafa Hosseini, Ashtiani’s friend. “You pay for it first then fill up the gas.”
“I would love to see that happen here in Alberta.”
Following her death, Ashtiani’s husband and young son relocated to Vancouver and elected not to return to Calgary to witness the trial of the man who took her life. Ashtiani’s parents remain in Iran and her friends remain optimistic that an arrangement can be made to help them visit Canada to say goodbye to their daughter and visit their grandson.
“As a group, we’re hoping to be able to send an invitation and we’re hoping the prosecutor’s office will help us with this invitation so they can get their visa and maybe be present at (Mitchell’s sentencing), come visit (Ashtiani’s) gravesite and visit with their daughter’s soul,” said Hosseini.
Joshua Mitchell is scheduled to be sentenced on August 30. The 22-year-old is facing a sentence of up to 15 years.
With files from CTV Calgary’s Alesia Fieldberg
