Inquest begins on wrong-way Highway 1 crash in Chilliwack, B.C., that led to 3 deaths
CBC
Almost five years ago, a car speeding in the wrong direction on Highway 1 in B.C.'s Fraser Valley crashed into another vehicle while being pursued by police.
Now, a B.C. Coroners Service inquest is reviewing the circumstances that lead to the deaths of 35-year-old Gabriel Johnson Choi, 29-year-old Hasan Khaled Ayyad and 43-year-old Allison Dawn Gilchrist.
In the early hours of Dec. 29, 2020, a vehicle was driving the wrong way in the eastbound lane on Highway 1 between Chilliwack and Hope — around 120 kilometres east of Vancouver — well above the speed limit.
An RCMP officer saw the car pass and pursued the vehicle just after 4 a.m. PT.
Several minutes later, there was a head-on collision between the vehicle being chased and another car, according to a 2022 report from the Independent Investigations Office of B.C.
Two people died in the crash, according to the report, while a third person later died in hospital.
The coroners service confirmed Ayyad was driving the vehicle in the wrong direction, with Gilchrist as his passenger.
He crashed into Choi, who was transported to hospital and later died.
The IIO cleared the officer who was pursuing the car in the wrong direction.
Nearly five years later, a coroner's inquest jury will look into the circumstances of the case and make recommendations to prevent deaths in similar circumstances.
Coroner's juries do not assign fault, and their recommendations are not legally binding.
The inquest on Monday morning began with family members reflecting on their loved ones.
Stormie Choi shared fond memories of her younger brother Gabriel, a federal corrections officer who was on the emergency response team.
Choi said that long before adulthood, Gabriel was "creative, talented and bright" as a gifted hip-hop artist who loved to breakdance.
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