Aug 26, 2026 7:10 PM - Connect Newsroom - Jasmine Singh
A 44-year-old Williams Lake man has been charged in connection with a fatal crash on Highway 1 near Lytton last year that claimed the lives of two people.
Joel Chenier has been charged under the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act with driving without due care and attention. The crash occurred around 5 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2025, near Spences Bridge.
According to police, a black Ford SUV crossed the centre line of the highway and collided head-on with an oncoming pickup truck. The impact was so severe that both vehicles caught fire.
A woman travelling in the SUV and a man in the pickup truck died at the scene. Four other people were injured in the crash.
The B.C. Highway Patrol conducted an extensive investigation and later submitted its report to the B.C. Prosecution Service. Charges were approved this month.
Chenier, who was driving the SUV at the time of the crash, has been summoned to appear in Lillooet Provincial Court on Sept. 15.
