Nov. 26 (UPI) — Coroners in British Columbia, Canada, have concluded that a crash that killed three teenage hockey players last year was caused by alcohol and excessive speed.
Parker Magnuson, Ronin Sharma and Caleb Reimer were killed when their vehicle hit a tree on August 21, 2021.
The British Columbia Coroners Service report, which was released on Friday following a 15-month investigation, concluded that Magnuson “failed to navigate the northbound curve” while driving on 104th Avenue in Surrey, B.C.
Data from the Ford Focus’ onboard computer indicated the vehicle rapidly accelerated to approximately 116 mph in the seconds before impact.
The coroners service report found that Magnuson, who held a novice driver’s license, had consumed a “moderate to heavy” amount of alcohol the night of the tragedy.
British Columbia requires drivers holding a novice license to have a zero blood-alcohol level, and, with some exceptions, forbids them from carrying more than one passenger under the age of 25.
The report determined that Magnuson, Sharma and Reimer were all killed by blunt force trauma and that their deaths were accidental.
The day after the crash the National Hockey League posted a message of condolence to its official Twitter account.
Sharma played for the Langley Rivermen, who honored their teammate’s legacy by wearing the number 25, which he wore on his jersey while taking to the ice a few weeks after the accident.
