Woman drove wrong way on West Vancouver highway 2km before fatal head-on crash
Trial hears Melesesh Sahalo drove southbound in northbound lanes on Highway 1 near Westport Road on June 26, killing two international students.
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A woman drove more than two kilometres the wrong way on Highway 1 in West Vancouver before a head-on collision that killed two international students on June 26, a trial heard Friday.
Melesesh Sahalo, 27, of Vancouver, is accused of two counts of dangerous operation causing death and two counts of dangerous operation causing bodily harm. She drove a Dodge Caliber southbound in the northbound lanes of the Upper Levels Highway, passing exits to Horseshoe Bay Village and Horseshoe Bay Drive and driving past multiple road markers, backwards signs and directional indicators.
The Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal had been closed that night. Sahalo got turned around there before entering the wrong lanes. Court heard she was using WhatsApp on her phone while driving and made a call about 10 minutes before the collision; the call ended shortly after impact.
Her vehicle struck a Toyota Corolla carrying four young international students from India who had been friends since childhood. The Corolla's driver, who was in his 20s, died at the scene from multiple blunt force injuries. A rear passenger also died. Two other passengers were seriously injured.
Judge Ariana Ward is hearing the case without a jury. A mechanical examination found nothing wrong with Sahalo's vehicle, and toxicology showed no drugs or alcohol in her blood. One other driver captured the collision on dashcam video, and cameras at the ferry terminal and along the highway documented her vehicle's movements that night.
Crown counsel Sean Harvey expects to call 10 witnesses, including drivers who saw the wrong-way travel, police, paramedics and a doctor.
The facts
When did the fatal collision occur?
The head-on crash happened on June 26.
How far did Melesesh Sahalo drive the wrong way before the collision?
Melesesh Sahalo drove more than two kilometres southbound in the northbound lanes of Highway 1 before the crash.
Who died in the collision?
The driver of the Toyota Corolla, a man in his 20s, and a rear passenger died at the scene. Both were international students from India.
What charges is Melesesh Sahalo facing?
Melesesh Sahalo faces two counts of dangerous operation causing death and two counts of dangerous operation causing bodily harm.
