News release

Four criminal charges approved after double-fatal collision in Chetwynd

January 9, 2026 - Chetwynd, British Columbia
From: BC Highway Patrol

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After 17 months of investigation into a double-fatal collision in Chetwynd, a Fort St. John man is now facing four criminal charges.

On April 7, 2024, shortly after midnight, two vehicles collided on Highway 97 South on Wabi Hill near Chetwynd, BC. A 19-year-old Dawson Creek man and a 15-year-old Chetwynd boy died at scene.

BC Highway Patrol forwarded the results of their investigation to the BC Prosecution Service. On September 22, 2025, four charges were laid against 21-year-old Jaden Christopher Cardinal of Fort St. John:

• Two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, section 320.13(3) of the Criminal Code;
• Two counts of impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing death, section 320.14(3) of the Criminal Code.

Cardinal’s next court appearance is on January 27, 2026, in Dawson Creek.

Further details about the investigation will not be discussed until the court process is complete. 

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