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Nearly five years ago, a car speeding the wrong way on Highway 1 in British Columbia's Fraser Valley crashed into another vehicle being pursued by police.
The BC Coroners Service is now looking into the circumstances that led to the deaths of 35-year-old Gabriel Johnson Choi, 29-year-old Hassan Khaled Ayad and 43-year-old Allison Dawn Gilchrist.
In the early morning hours of Dec. 29, 2020, a vehicle was traveling the wrong way in the eastbound lane on Highway 1 between Chilliwack and Hope—approximately 120 kilometers east of Vancouver—and speeding well over the speed limit.
An RCMP officer saw the car drive by and pursued it just after 4 a.m. PT.
A few minutes later, the pursued vehicle collided head-on with another vehicle. report for 2022 from the British Columbia Independent Investigations Office
According to the report, two people died as a result of the crash, and a third later died in hospital.
The coroner's office confirmed that Ayyad was driving in the wrong direction and his passenger was Gilchrist.
He crashed into Choi, who was taken to hospital and later died.
The IIO cleared the officer who was pursuing the vehicle in the wrong direction.
Nearly five years later, a coroner's jury will review the facts of the case and make recommendations to prevent deaths in similar circumstances.
Coroner's juries do not determine guilt, and their recommendations have no legal effect.
Family members reflect
Monday morning's inquest began with family members reflecting on their loved ones.
Stormy Choi shared fond memories of her younger brother Gabriel, a federal corrections officer who worked on the emergency response team.
Choi said that long before adulthood, Gabriel was a “creative, talented and vibrant” gifted hip-hop artist who loved breakdancing.
“He was one of the funniest people I knew,” she said, joining the investigation via video link.
She said her brother, one of four siblings, was her best friend.
“His laugh and his incredible spirit is a loss that our family feels deeply,” Choi said. “We will miss him for the rest of our lives.”
Barbara Empson mother GilchristI remembered the friendliness and “radiant smile” of my daughter.
She said Gilchrist faced serious mental health issues. Because of these problems, communication with loved ones became increasingly difficult over time.
“Her life, with its beautiful moments and difficult chapters, had a lasting impact on those who knew her,” Empson said.
The watch commander gives evidence
Retired RCMP Staff Sgt. Philip Nitz, who was on duty as a watch commander at the time, recalled the police response during the incident.
Part of his testimony included a discussion of risk assessments and Section 122 of the British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act, which allows emergency vehicles to be exempt from certain regulations when performing their duties.
The retired watch commander said the spike belt was deployed to try to stop the speeding car, but Ayad overtook it.
Nitz ordered the response officer to end the pursuit, partly concerned about the increased risk of approaching city limits.
A few minutes later, he said, the dispatcher reported that the order had come over the radio “in a faint.”
Nitz added that to this day he wonders why his order was not carried out and the persecution continued.
“I don’t know why the sound was weak, I don’t understand it,” said Nitz, who said at the time that he doubted there was a problem with his radio.
The former watch commander added that in a rapidly changing environment, radio communications could be overwhelming for the officer leading the pursuit.
The investigation will last until December 19.
