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B.C. woman charged with impaired driving in 2019 crash that killed two teens

Police in Trail, B.C., say three more counts were added in the court case against the driver, including two counts of impaired driving causing death. File / Global News

Police in B.C.’s Southern Interior say additional charges have been approved in a fatal car crash last year that claimed the lives of two teenagers.

The fatal accident occurred near Trail on Sunday, March 17, 2019, along Seven Mile Dam Road, near Waneta Dam.

It involved a Volkswagen Beetle leaving the road at a curve, going down a steep embankment and crashing into the Pend Oreille River just after 4 p.m.

The driver, from Fruitvale, escaped the submerged vehicle, as did the front passenger, a 15-year-old girl from Warfield.

However, the two rear passengers did not, a 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old girl, both also from Fruitvale.

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Two days later, on March 19, an RCMP underwater recovery team located the vehicle and recovered the bodies.

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Their bodies were later recovered on March 19 by an RCMP underwater recovery team.

According to Trail RCMP, the recovery conditions were difficult and took significant time to complete.

Police added cooperation from the dam authority and BC Hydro in lowering the river water helped.

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Police say Tessa Anderson of Fruitvale was charged on March 13, 2020, with several driving-related offences.

But this month, police say Crown counsel added two counts of impaired driving causing death and one count of impaired driving causing bodily harm. The new counts were added on Nov. 19.

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Regarding the driving-related offences, an online court search shows that Anderson, born in 2001, is facing two counts of violating driver’s licence restrictions, excessive speeding relative to conditions and driving without due care and attention.

The next court date is scheduled for Dec. 10.

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