Charges laid in crash that killed Vancouver Whitecaps prospect Brandon Bassi

A 19-year-old man has been charged in a fatal collision that took the life of a Vancouver Whitecaps prospect last spring.

Brandon Bassi, then 19, died when the Jeep he was a passenger in crashed at the intersection of 78 Avenue and 122 Street, around 12:30 a.m. on May 18, 2019.

Six people were in the Jeep when it crashed. Three other people were taken to hospital, two of them in serious condition.

At the time of the crash, police said two people fled the scene but were later identified.

Surrey RCMP said Wednesday that Dilpreet Sandhu is now facing eight charges, including dangerous driving causing death and failure to remain at the scene of a fatal crash.

Bassi played for Simon Fraser University’s men’s soccer team where he had recently started an undergraduate arts degree, according to the school.

He had joined the Whitecaps residency program after playing for B.C. Soccer’s provincial squad, according to the B.C. Soccer.

In the wake of the tragedy, Bassi’s family launched a crowdfunding campaign to create the Brandon Bassi Foundation.

It said the foundation will award a $1,000 scholarship annually to a student who “demonstrates leadership in and outside of the classroom.”

— With files from Sean Boynton