Victims of fatal high speed crash in Vancouver identified

The two people who died in a crash at Davie and Seymour Streets in Vancouver earlier this week have now been identified as former accountant Matthew Ma and his wife Linda.

Matthew, 68, and Linda, 70, were in a white Lexus SUV heading northbound on Seymour when they struck a tree and then a lamp post. They were killed instantly.

Their only daughter told Global News both her parents were highly respected in the community and they were very active in their church. Melissa Ma has now flown in from San Francisco to deal with her parent’s funeral.

There have been some media reports saying Matthew may have been drinking before the crash but Melissa says that is not possible.

“I can definitely say my parents do not drink,” said Melissa. “My dad gets a headache when he drinks anything, it’s part of being Asian so he does not drink. He does not smoke.”

2:14 Exclusive: Victims of Monday’s fatal high-speed crash identified

• Exclusive: Victims of Monday’s fatal high-speed crash identified
• Medical emergency could have played a role in deadly Seymour Street crash
• VPD look for witnesses after two seniors killed in fatal car crash
• Did a medical condition cause deadly rush hour crash?
• Two killed in downtown Vancouver crash

Previous Video

Next Video

The couple had only been in possession of the vehicle for one week before the crash.

Matthew’s autopsy took place on Wednesday. It is not yet clear if he suffered a medical issue before the crash or whether there was a mechanical issue with the car.

“The coroner is still trying to do their investigation, figuring out if it’s possibly a stroke or a heart attack while he was driving,” added Melissa. “He’s not a fast driver normally.”

A witness did tell Global News at the time of the crash that it appeared Matthew was speeding and Vancouver Police say that area is “problematic for speed.”

Acting VPD Sgt. Brian Montague said on Tuesday it is not clear how fast the vehicle was travelling, but based on the wreckage and the trail of debris, high speed was likely involved.

“But it’s a bit of a guess right now,” added Montague.

The speed limit on the bridge is 60 km/hr, but the off-ramp speed limit is 50 km/h.

Three male pedestrians in their 30s were also injured in the crash when they were struck by the tree and debris. Two are in critical condition but are expected to survive. All three were taken to hospital with a variety of injuries, ranging from lacerations and bruising to a broken femur and punctured lung.

-With files from Jon Azpiri and Yuliya Talmazan