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Tsawwassen First Nation mourns 'pillars' killed in Delta, B.C. crash
Police say the driver was in apparent medical distress, and two injured people remain in critical condition while investigators assess the crash.
On Wednesday, Tsawwassen First Nation elders Barb Joe and Virginia Splockton died after a pickup truck struck pedestrians outside Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, leaving two others in critical condition.
Investigators are assessing whether medical distress experienced by the Alpine Building Maintenance vehicle's driver caused the collision; police confirmed there is no evidence it was intentional.
Family members described the elders as "cultural pillars," noting Joe was a knowledge keeper who revived the nation's language while Splockton "touched countless lives."
Prime Minister Mark Carney, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, David Eby, Emily Lowan, and Lorne Doerkson offered condolences, as did the Indian Residential School Survivors Society and Huu-ay-aht First Nations.
Tsawwassen First Nation was hosting a walk and unveiling traditional house posts for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation nearby; police clarified the collision was unrelated to these events.