Community mourns loss of Vernon teen

VERNON – The community is mourning the loss of a well-liked teen killed in a car accident last week near Lytton.

Dante Tiberius Darkazanli, 15, died Friday after the SUV he was riding in collided with three other vehicles, including a tanker truck. What caused the accident remains unclear. Darkazanli was the only person whose life was claimed in the crash.

Fulton Secondary principal Ken Gatzke says Darkazanli is greatly missed among staff and his many friends.

“Our staff and students are mourning for Dante,” Gatzke says. “Moving into the end of the week, we’re trying to celebrate his life more, but it’s still tough.”

Outpourings of support for Darkazanli’s family have erupted on Facebook. His mother, Nadia Darkazanli, shared on her profile that the loss has been “unimaginably painful.”
Darkazanli’s older brother also goes to Fulton Secondary.

A funeral service is planned for March 8 at 2 p.m. at the Pleasant Valley Funeral Home. It is open to all.

RCMP and the B.C. Coroners Service continue to investigate the accident. 

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca, call (250)309-5230 or tweet @charhelston.