A Vancouver Provincial Court judge June 12 granted bail to a man accused in causing the deaths of two people and injuries to three others while allegedly driving under the influence of methamphetamine.
Chi Sun Park, 35, faces 15 charges in connection with a Metro Vancouver Highway 1 Feb. 18, 2024 incident that claimed the lives of Mursal Arifi and Jenna Hepperle near the Sprott Street off-ramp.
RCMP said at the time that an eastbound vehicle was stopped on the side of the highway when it was struck by an SUV between 3:30 a.m. and 3:45 a.m.
One person was already dead while others were taken to hospital, two in critical condition. One later passed away.
The driver of the second vehicle was released from the scene with minor injuries, police said.
The charges
Park is charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death in connection with Arifi and Hepperle.
Park is further charged with two counts of impaired driving causing those deaths.
He is charged with three counts each of dangerous driving and impaired driving causing bodily injury to three women.
Further, he is charged with five counts of driving while on methamphetamine causing either death or bodily injury.
The charges were sworn June 9.
Park appeared before Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Susan Sangha for a bail hearing, the details of which are covered by a publication ban. Such bans are put in place so as not to taint any future trial proceedings should they be heard before a jury.
Park was released without any financial bail obligations. He was not in custody prior to the hearing.
He is due to be arraigned on the charges July 25.
