Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Man charged in 2015 Whistler cyclists' death pleads guilty

Samuel Alec pleads guilty to three counts of impaired driving causing death
news_whistler8-1-69ecad964f385e13
Kelly Blunden and Ross Chafe. File images

A man charged in the deaths of three people in 2015 has pleaded guilty to three counts of impaired driving causing death.

Samuel Alec, 45, of Lillooet, was driving on the Duffey Lake Road on May 31, 2015 when his vehicle struck two cyclists — Whistler's Kelly Blunden (53) and Ross Chafe (50) — killing them. Pemberton's Paul Pierre Jr. (52), a passenger in the vehicle the accused was driving, was also killed.

Alec has been in custody since his arrest in August 2015 on three counts each of criminal negligence causing death, impaired driving causing death and driving over the legal blood-alcohol limit. He was also charged for failing to remain at the scene of the accident.

A five-week jury trial was set to begin this month. Alec is next scheduled to appear in B.C. Supreme Court on March 27.

The families of both Blunden and Chafe have launched separate civil suits against Alec seeking unspecified damages. Both suits allege that Alec's negligence contributed to the cyclists' deaths.

Pick up next week's Pique for more.

-with files from Brandon Barrett