‘A model of courage:’ Third victim of Tsawwassen Mills crash dies in hospital

A third person injured when a pickup hit a crowd of people at Tsawwassen Mills on Sept. 30 has died.

Gwenyth Dwyn, 64, of South Delta succumbed to her injuries on Oct. 7. According to her online obituary, Dwyn was a community health specialist with Fraser Health who helped shape public policy on prevention of abuse of legal substances. It called her “a model of courage.”

“Filled with integrity, she was committed to social justice,” it says. “She gave her time and extensive skills to many causes that were close to her heart, supporting several community organizations including those fighting for women to be safe from violence and oppression, those assisting people who struggle to find employment, ones for people living with mental health and addictions, and youth-serving organizations.”

The two other fatalities were First Nations elders: Virginia Splockton and wilapiya (Barb Joe). A second person who was hospitalized has been released and continues to recover at home, according to Delta police.

The crash, which occurred following a Tsawwassen First Nations’ Truth and Reconciliation Day walk, saw a pickup hit people in the gathered crowd. Police said at the time the driver may have experienced a medical incident.

Delta police stressed that the investigation hasn’t reached any conclusions. The driver, who was attended to at the scene by emergency medical services, wasn’t arrested, and charges haven’t been laid. Due to privacy concerns, and in order to maintain the integrity of the probe, the DPD isn’t commenting on the potential medical issue.

Authorities are piecing together witness accounts, video recovered from bystanders’ phones and cameras, as well as security footage from the mall. Investigators are trying to track the movements of the vehicle before the incident, including an earlier collision at the mall, said Delta Staff Sgt. Mike Whiteley.

“We understand that the community has questions and wants answers about what occurred,” he said. “Our responsibility is to ensure those answers are based on a complete and objective examination of the evidence. Investigators are working through a significant amount of information, and it is important that we not reach conclusions before that work is complete.”

Anyone who hasn’t already spoken with investigators and either witnessed the incident or observed the vehicle on the Tsawwassen Mills property before the collision is asked to contact the Delta police at 604-946-4411 and reference File No. 26-18401.