The family of a Surrey teen missing for more than week is hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.
Gaganpreet Suveen Sandhar, 17, and the car he was driving have not been seen since early on June 18.
"Hope is really hard to keep," Gaganpreet's distraught sister, Randeep, said. "We're definitely preparing ourselves for the worst."
Randeep believes her brother crashed his father's beige 2001 Toyota Corolla at about 11 p.m. on June 17 near 170th Street and 82nd Avenue in Surrey in what may have been a street-racing accident. The teen was last seen 21/2 hours later driving out of the McDonald's restaurant parking lot at 156th Street and Fraser Highway.
Randeep said her brother had recently started hanging out with a "bad crowd" and they reconvened at the restaurant after the accident.
Gaganpreet is a graduating honour-roll student at North Surrey Secondary and was planning to attend the B.C. Institute of Technology in the fall. He is missing his provincial exams this week.
Friends and family members say Gaganpreet's disappearance is out of character and they're deeply concerned for his safety.
"He's a very clean-cut, well-educated kid," said Douglas Chidley, manager of a Langley Wendy's restaurant where Gaganpreet worked for two years.
"I'm shocked that he could find himself in this kind of situation."
Randeep also worked at the restaurant and Chidley said the siblings are close.
"He wouldn't do anything without telling [Randeep]," Chidley said. "They are good friends and very protective of each other."
Six people are reported missing from Surrey every day, but police are treating Gaganpreet's disappearance as suspicious, Surrey RCMP Cpl. Roger Morrow said.
Gaganpreet is six-feet-one-inch tall, 215 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing blue jeans and a black summer jacket.
Call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS if you can help.
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