Car was going 187 km/h before crash that killed young B.C. hockey players, coroner finds
Alcohol and speed were factors in a tragic collision that killed three junior hockey players in B.C.'s Lower Mainland last year, according to a coroner's report.
The deaths of 17-year-old Parker Magnuson, 16-year-old Caleb Reimer and 16-year-old Ronin Sharma left the hockey community reeling, drawing condolences from the NHL, the Humboldt Broncos and many others.
A coroner's investigation found Magnuson was driving the other teenagers through Surrey in a Ford Focus RS when the car crossed the centre line on 104 Avenue and crashed into a tree in the early morning hours of Aug. 21, 2021.
All three of the young friends died at the scene.
The car's onboard computer indicated it had "accelerated from 20 km/h reaching a record speed of 187 km/h seconds before impact," according to the report.
The stretch of 104 Avenue where the crash took place, between 160th Street and Fraser Glen Drive, has a posted speed limit of 50 km/h that dips to 30 km/h along a bend in the road.
The report said the Ford Focus "failed to navigate the northbound curve" before the collision, and that the weather was clear and the road was dry at the time.
Toxicology tests for Manguson found he had been drinking that night. The B.C. Coroners Service noted the teenager had no record of driving prohibitions or licence suspensions.
The three deaths were ruled as accidental, and the result of blunt force trauma.
Sharma played for the Langley Rivermen, and was described by his coach as a natural leader both on and off the ice.
Weeks after the tragedy, when the team was warming up for their season opener, every player took to the ice wearing Sharma's number, 25. The Rivermen then retired his jersey.
Reimer was signed with the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2019, and was described as one of several young breakout stars during the team’s 2020-21 Central Division Championship season.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.