Squamish man enters guilty plea to charges related to fatal 2022 hit and run

A Squamish man has pleaded guilty to charges related to a crash downtown in 2022. 

On Jan. 23, 2025, John Cernos pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing bodily harm, impaired driving causing death and failing to remain at the scene of a collision.

Sentencing will take place at a later date, RCMP say. 

The hit-and-run before midnight on Sept. 2,  2022, resulted in the death of Squamish's Gurpreet Sangha, 44, and severe injuries to another woman. 

Both had been waiting at the bus stop on Cleveland Avenue and Pemberton when a driver of a 1999 Ford F250 crashed into them.

According to an RCMP release, based on the complexity of the investigation, RCMP investigators sought help from the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service, the Integrated Forensic Identification Section, the RCMP Digital Forensic Services and the ‘E’ Division Interview Team.

The Squamish RCMP’s General Investigation Section continued the investigation, which led to several charges being laid against Cernos in November of 2023.

“This tragic incident had a significant impact on family, friends and the community as a whole,” said Staff Sgt. Gareth Bradley, the Operations Commander of the Squamish RCMP, in the release. 

“This outcome reflects the commitment of our investigators in seeking justice, and we hope that it provides a sense of closure and accountability to those affected.”