With the end of school, it is common for youth to gather to celebrate the beginning of summer holidays. On Saturday June 27th, 2026, at approximately 11:50 pm, front line officers from the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP along with the BC Ambulance Service responded to a rural property near Lumby for a report that a pick-up truck had struck a pedestrian. On arrival, police learned that the dangerous actions of a pick-up truck driver resulted in two pedestrians being struck.
Despite the immediate first aid provided by the youth witnesses and the efforts by BC Ambulance crews on arrival, a 15-year-old Lumby youth succumbed to injuries on scene. A second youth, who was also struck by the pick-up, was transported to hospital by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the pick-up truck fled the scene but was later located by police.
“There were numerous youth present at this gathering who, not only saw this tragic incident, but captured it on cellphone” said Cpl Tania Finn, Media Relations Officer with the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP. “Investigators were able to identify, locate and arrest the driver that night.”
A 16-year-old Vernon youth was arrested and later released from police custody pending a future court date. The youth faces several potential criminal charges related to incident.
The BC Coroners Service attended to the scene to conduct an independent and concurrent fact-finding investigation to determine how, where, when and by what means they came to their unexpected death. The family of the deceased was notified and are receiving grief support. The Vernon North Okanagan RCMP continue to investigate this incident, and anyone with information who has not already spoken to police, is urged to contact the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP at (250) 545-7171.
Cpl Tania FINN
Vernon North Okanagan Media Relations
Vernon North Okanagan RCMP / Government of Canada
