Two young children were killed in a tragic accident in northern BC last week.
Mounties were called to a rollover crash involving a UTV, or side-by-side, in Pouce Coupe, southeast of Dawson Creek near the BC-Alberta border, around 1 pm on Thursday, June 4.
“Five young children were in the vehicle when the driver lost control, resulting in the vehicle rolling several times over a considerable distance,” explained an RCMP release.
Police say an eight-year-old boy, identified online by family members as Jordan Poulin, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver, a seven-year-old girl since identified as Jadyn Barrett, was airlifted to hospital in Edmonton where she succumbed to her injuries.
According to police, the other three occupants escaped the incident with just minor injuries.
“As a parent, I cannot fathom the unimaginable and tragic loss these families have suffered,” said S/Sgt. Kris Clark. “Our hearts go out to everyone who was impacted by this unthinkable event.”
BC law mostly prohibits anyone under the age of 16 from operating UTVs, with small exceptions for children aged 12-13 with adult supervision and children aged 14-15 with written parental consent.
There are also minimum height and weight requirements from the manufacturer that children are required to meet before they can operate these types of vehicles.
A funeral service for both Poulin and Barrett will be held at Alliance Church in Dawson Creek at 11 am on Friday, June 12.
