A B.C. man faces 10 criminal charges in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed two women over the weekend.

Cory Sater, a 37-year-old Coquitlam resident, has been charged with a raft of offences including dangerous driving causing death, impaired driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

Charlene Reaveley, 30, and 26-year-old Lorraine Cruz were killed after a white Jeep Grand Cherokee swiped an SUV stopped on the shoulder of Lougheed Highway in Coquitlam early Saturday morning.

Police say that Cruz was driving the SUV when it struck a concrete barrier near Pitt River Road. Reaveley saw the crash and approached the vehicle to check on the occupants.

She was helping Cruz out of the SUV when the two women were hit by the Jeep, killing them instantly. The hit-and-run vehicle was found abandoned a short distance from the crash site.

Reaveley was the mother of four children, ages one to 10. Her husband witnessed the crash, but was not injured.

Sater was arrested on Sunday. He has been ordered to remain in custody until his next court appearance on March 3.

Outside of court, Cruz's stepfather described her as a "beautiful person" and said his family still doesn't understand how the tragedy happened.

"We're devastated. That's about it. We're trying to cope. We're trying to realize that she's gone," Michael Bennett said.

A community in mourning

Neighbours of Reaveley are putting together a trust fund for the young family she leaves behind.

People CTV News spoke with on Monday describe the mother as a dedicated community member who was always upbeat and ready with a smile.

"What would you want people to know about Charlene? That she was the most wonderful, wonderful person in the whole wide world," Barb Wasylyk said.

The grief expressed by those who knew the women is a pain known all too well by the family of Carly Regan in Abbotsford.

Her family has tirelessly pushed for tougher penalties since the 13-year-old was struck and killed in 2003.

Today, the federal government said they're ready to revisit Carley's law.

"We are always looking at ways to strengthen the law and ways to hold people who commit heinous crimes accountable for their actions," Stephen Harper said.

The news comes as a sigh of relief to Carley's father, Barry Regan.

"Deep down, I've never given up hope. I've always hoped that somebody would take it from where we left off. Now maybe when he's going to look at it maybe things are gonna change."

With reports from CTV British Columbia's Bhinder Sajan and Brent Shearer