ON September 3, 2022, at about 11:25 p.m., an RCMP officer spotted a rolled over pick up truck on Cleveland Avenue and Pemberton Avenue. The truck had gone over a sidewalk, through a chain link fence, damaged a bus stop sign, and hit two women.

According to an RCMP statement at the time, a large number of people saw the accident happen. The two women suffered serious injuries, and the male driver ran away from the scene. Bystanders came together to lift the truck off the injured women.

BC Ambulance Service rushed the two women to a local area hospital. Gurpreet Sangha, 44 years old, died in hospital on September 16 from injuries sustained in the incident.

Based on the complexity of this investigation RCMP investigators sought assistance from the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service, the Integrated Forensic Identification Section, the RCMP Digital Forensic Services and the ‘E’ Division Interview Team.

The Squamish RCMP’s General Investigation Section continued the investigation which led to several charges being laid against Squamish resident, John Cernos, in November 2023.

On January 23, 2025, Cernos plead guilty to impaired driving causing bodily harm, impaired driving causing death and fail to remain at scene of collision. Sentencing will take place at a later date.

“This tragic incident had a significant impact on family, friends and the community as a whole,” says Staff-Sgt. Gareth Bradley, the Operations Commander of Squamish RCMP. “This outcome reflects the commitment of our investigators in seeking justice, and we hope that it provides a sense of closure and accountability to those affected.”