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RCMP search for witness in deadly collision

Coquitlam RCMP are looking for a witness to the collision that took the life of Grade 8 student Deborah Seol on March 25

Coquitlam RCMP are looking for a witness in relation to the fatal crash that took the life of 13-year-old Coquitlam girl Deborah Seol. 

The collision occurred on March 25 at the corner of Mariner Way and Riverview Crescent when a black BMW collided with a another vehicle, spun out of control and ploughed into five children waiting on a pedestrian island.

Now, Coquitlam RCMP are looking for a man who was stopped at the intersection when the accident occurred at around 3 p.m. that day.

“It’s important that we speak to absolutely everyone who was at the scene,” says Corporal Michael McLaughlin with Coquitlam RCMP.  

“This witness may not think he saw anything important, but we will leave no stone unturned to determine what caused the collision that took the life of a young girl.”

Police describe the witness as a clean-shaven Asian man with a slim build and short, black hair. At the time, he was wearing glasses, a dark top, blue jeans, and dark shoes with white socks.

The witness was driving a white Toyota RAV 4 SUV produced between 2016 and 2018.  

Coquitlam RCMP are careful to note that the witness is not a suspect of a crime. If you know the driver police are looking for, Coquitlam RCMP are asking that you call them at 604-945-1550 and ask for the traffic section. 

Coquitlam RCMP set up at the corner of Mariner Way and Riverview Crescent Tuesday for a re-enactment
Coquitlam RCMP set up at the corner of Mariner Way and Riverview Crescent Tuesday for a re-enactment of the collision March 25 that killed a 13-year-old girl as she and a group of friends waited in the island for a traffic light to change. - MARIO BARTEL/THE TRI-CITY NEWS

The announcement comes about a week after Coquitlam RCMP partially shut down the intersection of Mariner Way and Riverview Crescent as part of a partial re-enactment into the fatal collision.

Police officers from the RCMP's traffic section made several passes up the hill and through the intersection in an unmarked police cruiser, duplicating the speeds and trajectories of the BMW while an in-car video camera captured the perspective of the driver. 

Seven weeks after the death of Deborah Seol, a Grade 8 student at Montgomery middle school in Coquitlam, police say both drivers are cooperating with the investigation, but that no charges will be considered until the investigation is complete. 

The GoFundMe page set up to support the girl’s family has raised nearly $32,000 of its $100,000 goal.