A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with a homicide investigation regarding a 2021 case in Vancouver.
On Oct. 30, 2021, Vancouver officers discovered three young men with injuries, including two with stab wounds, at the scene of a rollover crash near Fraser Street and East 55 Avenue.
Investigators believe all three men were riding in a vehicle and were involved in an “altercation” with people in a second car.
“There was some kind of an altercation these three men had with people in another vehicle in the area shortly before the collision occurred that caused the vehicle to roll over,” VPD Sgt. Steve Addison said in 2021.
Vinay Aujla, a 19-year-old Vancouver man, was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The two other victims, men aged 18 and 19, were treated in hospital for their stab wounds.
On Thursday, Vancouver police announced a now 19-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter and two counts of assault.
He is not being named as he was a minor at the time of the incident, police said.
Kirin Vanapalli, who lives across the street from the crash, came running out with his roommates when they heard the collision, he told Global News at the scene in 2021.
“We were unable to see anyone inside the car, because the car (had) completely tinted windows,” he said.
One passenger was able to exit the vehicle on their own, he said, while firefighters had to extract the other two occupants.
“The second guy I think was completely unconscious, I did not see any injuries on his face or his body,” he said.
The third occupant was bleeding profusely, he said.
— with files from Simon Little