Two teenaged girls were killed and a 21-year-old man was left in critical condition after a vehicle went into the Fraser River in Chilliwack on Saturday night.
The crash happened just after 11 p.m. in the 46000 block of Ballam Road.
Mounties say they responded to reports of a car flipping and ending up in the Fraser River, trapping three occupants — a 17- and 18-year-old girl and a 21-year-old man — inside.
“Fatal collisions are never easy, but ones involving youth are particularly hard,” said RCMP Sgt. Krista Vrolyk.
“All of the emergency responders acted quickly and did everything they can, and obviously not the outcome that anybody wanted.”
The girls were pronounced dead at the scene. The 21-year-old male was airlifted to hospital.
Police are looking into whether speed or alcohol were factors in the crash.
RCMP have not officially identified any of the people involved in the Thanksgiving weekend tragedy. However, Global News did connect with family of one of the deceased.
Bethany Kingma Neufeld says her 18-year-old sister, Ruby Hawa Kingma, was in grade 12 at Chilliwack Senior Secondary and had dreams of becoming a hairdresser.
Neufeld says Ruby was a bright light in a large family.
“She had a huge smile,” said Neufeld. “She always knew how to light up a room, she was so helpful to anyone, she would just look at someone and know what they needed and how they could help, she really loved reading, and she had six siblings.”
“Ruby was in hairdressing school just before she passed away, she really loved talking to people, she was a really good people person.”
- Indecent offender arrested twice in one week, West Shore RCMP says
- Volkswagen Canada announces airbag fix for recalled Atlas SUVs after almost one year wait
- B.C.’s carbon tax hike kicks in on Monday, April 1 so prepare to pay more at the pump
- Spike in Metro Vancouver restaurant closures sparks concern
Comments