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Driver convicted of dangerous driving after hitting Leila Bui out on bail

Tennesa Nikirk was convicted for striking then 11-year-old Leila Bui with her car
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Leila Bui with her parents Tuan (left) and Kairry Nguyen on Jan. 27, 2020 after Tenessa Nikirk was found guilty for striking Bui in a Saanich crosswalk. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)

The woman convicted in the Saanich crash that left then 11-year-old Leila Bui unresponsive and severely injured has been released on bail following an application for appeal.

B.C. Appeal Court Services confirmed Wednesday morning that Tenessa Nikirk was released on bail Jan. 5.

On Dec. 20, 2017, Nikirk was driving a Mercedes SUV when she struck Bui in a Saanich crosswalk. Leila, who had been on her way to school, was thrown roughly 25 metres. She has remained in a non-responsive state and in need of constant care since the incident.

During the trial in Victoria, evidence revealed that Nikirk was texting and driving erratically before the crash. She was convicted of dangerous driving causing bodily harm in January 2020 and sentenced to two years in federal prison in a decision from a provincial court judge on Dec. 21, 2020.

RELATED: Driver who left Saanich girl with catastrophic brain injuries sentenced to two years in prison


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