A 34-year-old Sunshine Coast man has been charged with dangerous driving causing death for a motor vehicle accident in Gibsons in April, 2005.
Kari Partanen did not appear in Sechelt provincial court April 26 to face the charge, and a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to the Sechelt court registry. According to Sunshine Coast RCMP, two vehicles collided on the 1400 block of Hwy. 101 on April 4, 2005 when a 1980 Pontiac Grand Prix heading north crossed into the southbound lane, hitting a southbound 1986 Jeep Cherokee. The collision occurred shortly after 8 p.m. Emergency crews removed the Cherokee's driver - 56-year-old Michael Wheelihan of Gibsons - from the vehicle, who later died at St. Mary's Hospital as a result of injuries. The Grand Prix driver was airlifted to Vancouver with unknown serious injuries. Neither driver was wearing a seatbelt, according to Const. Kurt Rosenberg.
