Teenagers killed in Burnaby car crash were coming home from a soccer game

Two teenagers killed in a car crash on the Burnaby-New Westminster border have been identified as 17-year-old Yasbirat Ytatek of Burnaby and 18-year-old Samir Olyad Suleiman Ali of East Vancouver.

On Tuesday, July 26, a Metro Vancouver Transit Police officer tried to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle, but that vehicle reportedly sped off, crashing into another vehicle at 10th Avenue and Sixth Street.

Ytatek and Ali were in the car struck by the suspect vehicle, according to CBC News and a pair of GoFundMe campaigns set up for the boys’ families.

According to the fundraiser for Ali’s family, the two were on their way home from a soccer game in New Westminster.

Ytatek was described in the fundraiser for his family as “a phenomenal person” who “will be missed by many people.”

“He was an amazing rugby and soccer player. He was awarded player of the month for his soccer club team in March and recently made the Burnaby District Metro Soccer Men’s team, which is a big accomplishment,” reads the GoFundMe page.

Ytatek was the eldest of five siblings and was set to enter his final year of high school in September.

“Yasbit was … a great role model for his younger siblings and community members,” the page says.

The family lives in the Edmonds neighbourhood after moving to Canada from Ethiopia, according to the GoFundMe page.

“The parents are such caring and supportive individuals who are understandably heartbroken and experiencing unspeakable grief and loss,” the page says.

“Neither of his parents is able to work after suffering from this tragedy so we are reaching out to the community to help support the family.”

Ali was similarly described as a “beloved member of his community,” also the eldest son of a family who had come to Canada five years ago as refugees.

Ali was a recent high school graduate and was on his way to the UBC kinesiology program on a full scholarship.

The campaign for Ytatek’s family had raised close to $9,000 as of mid-afternoon on Friday, while the campaign for Ali’s family had raised over $35,000.

The Independent Investigations Office of BC, a civilian-led agency that investigates incidents in which police actions may have caused death or serious harm, is investigating the crash.