The two elders killed outside Tsawwassen Mills shopping centre Wednesday morning have been identified by the Tsawwassen First Nation.
Virginia Splockton is described as a beloved great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, sister, auntie, cousin, friend and elder whose presence touched countless lives.
“Virginia was a cultural pillar in our community,” the post reads. “She had a deep love for crafting, drumming, singing and was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need.”
“Her generosity, kindness and dedication to others will be remembered by all who knew her.”
The other victim has been identified as wilapiya (Barb Joe).
“Barb Joe was a cultural pillar, knowledge keeper and matriarch of Tsawwassen First Nation,” the post reads.
“She was responsible for reviving the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language.”
Get daily National news
Earlier on Thursday, Delta police said the driver of the vehicle that struck the pedestrians has spoken to investigators and has been released from the hospital.
Shortly after 10:25 a.m. a vehicle struck four people, killing the two women.
They were both pronounced dead at the scene, while two other people were airlifted to the hospital where they remain in critical condition, police said.
The investigation remains ongoing, police said, no charges have been sworn at this time and there is no information to suggest the collision was intentional.
Investigators are determining if the driver suffered a medical emergency before the collision.
- ‘Local Governance 101’ Okanagan community’s first-ever council trains ahead of inaugural meeting
- Family of soldier badly burned at CFB Wainwright speaks about his injuries
- As B.C. scraps time change, experts have a warning about the risks
- B.C. soldier burned in CFB Wainwright fire remains in Edmonton ICU
The collision took place where a House Post was scheduled to be unveiled following the end of the Truth and Reconciliation Walk taking place nearby.
Although the unveiling had not yet started, some people were preparing for the ceremony.
At this stage there is no information to suggest any connection between the collision and the planned event, police added.
“We recognize the profound impact this incident has had on the victims, their families, witnesses, first responders and our entire community,” said Staff Sgt. Mike Whiteley, media relations officer for Delta police, in a statement.
“Our investigators are working diligently to determine exactly what occurred and to conduct a thorough investigation into all of the circumstances surrounding this collision.”
Anyone who witnessed the collision, observed the involvpolice at 604-946-4444 and reference file 26-18401.
Comments
Comments closed.
Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time.
Please see our Commenting Policy for more.