Alcohol and excessive speed were contributing factors to a car crash that claimed the lives of three B.C. teenage hockey players in August 2021, according to a coroner’s report.
The B.C. Coroners Service report, released Friday, confirms that Parker Magnuson, Ronin Sharma and Caleb Reimer, who were aged between 16 and 17, died of blunt force injuries in the crash on Aug. 21, 2021.
It follows a 15-month investigation into the crash which left B.C.’s junior hockey community, and the wider hockey community, reeling.
According to the coroner, Magnuson was driving a Ford Focus west along 104th Avenue in Surrey at 2:40 a.m. when he missed a curve in the road and crashed into a tree.
The car was travelling at 187 km/h before impact, according to the onboard computer.
The coroners report states that a toxicological analysis found that Magnuson, who held a Class N driver’s licence, had consumed a “moderate to heavy” amount of alcohol.
In British Columbia, N-level licences carry a zero-blood-alcohol restriction. Drivers with an N licence are also only permitted to have one passenger under 25 years old.
At the time of the crash, the teens’ deaths drew condolences and tributes from the Delta Hockey Academy, of which they were members, the NHL, and several teams from the Western Hockey League.
Ronin’s jersey was retired by his team, the Langley Rivermen, on what would have been his 17th birthday last October.
