Charges laid in fatal 2022 hit and run in Squamish
Posted November 29, 2023 6:54 am.
Last Updated November 29, 2023 7:17 am.
Mounties in Squamish say a man has been charged in relation to a deadly hit and run in which a woman was struck by a pick-up truck while waiting for a bus last year.
Gurpreet Sangha, 44, was hit near Pemberton Avenue and Cleveland Avenue just after 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 2, 2022. Mounties at the time said the vehicle had “flipped over a sidewalk” and drove through a chain-link fence before running into Sangha and another woman.
Mounties said that as bystanders were trying to help the women, the driver of the pickup ran away from the scene before police got there.
Sangha died in hospital two weeks later from the injuries she sustained in the incident.
The Sea to Sky RCMP says on Nov. 16, it arrested a man in relation to the hit and run.
John Cernos is now facing six charges relating to the death, including impaired operation causing death, failure to stop after an accident causing death, and dangerous operation causing death.
“We need justice for our sisters and we are happy with the RCMP and the Investigative Team for their support through this time. We hope this does not happen to anyone else in the community and that no one has to suffer like we did,” a representative for the victims’ families said.
In late September last year, the RCMP said at the time it had arrested and questioned a suspect a short time after the crash before being released, however did not have the required evidence to arrest and charge them.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the families for their unwavering support throughout this difficult period and for their strength that has been a guiding light for our investigators throughout the investigation. I also want to acknowledge the tireless efforts of the Sea to Sky RCMP General Investigation Section and other police units that came together,” said Insp. Robert Dykstra, Officer in Charge for the Sea to Sky RCMP.
“Their commitment over the past 14 months is why several charges have now been laid related to this tragic incident and we can only hope that this will bring some much-needed closure to the families and the community.”
