Deaths of two Coquitlam sisters shock BC

Shiloh and Keziah Johnston died 10 days apart from unrelated causes

By Angela Espinoza, News Editor

The unrelated deaths of two Coquitlam sisters have left many shocked by the short time span in which the incidents occurred.

Keziah Johnston, 20, passed away on February 7 due to yet unknown causes. The Province reported that the Johnston family has speculated an overdose as the cause of Keziah’s death, although a coroner’s report has yet to be released.

Just 10 days later on February 17, Shiloh Johnston, 22, was killed when a car crashed into a bus stop near BCIT in Burnaby, where Shiloh had been standing.

The accident was reportedly the result of another car crashing into the one that hit Shiloh, which caused the vehicle to, as the Province writes, cross “two lanes of traffic and hit a power pole” before claiming Shiloh’s life. A February 18 CBC article noted four others had been injured, and that “both the cars had ‘N’ stickers … and police said it’s possible speed was a factor.”

Family have since told media that the sisters were close, and lived together as roommates. Janica Lucas, a cousin of the sisters, has spoken on behalf of the family several times: “It was a really unique bond,” Lucas told the Globe and Mail. “They just loved each other so much and were so grateful they had each other. They’d overcome lots of struggles, both of them.”

Many news sources have written that Shiloh had been planning a memorial for Keziah prior to her own death, which was to be held on March 7. The service will now be in honour of both sisters, and is planned for the same day.

In the days since, TriCity News wrote that “thousands” had since been raised to fund a memorial bench for the sisters. The funds have been collected online through a crowd-sourcing campaign on GoFundMe.com. The campaign started on February 26, and as of March 1, over 170 people had donated money.

The page states that initially Shiloh had a goal of having a bench made for Keziah, but “now will be a place where individuals can go and reflect on both their lives.” The page also states that any financial contributions past the goal of $50,000 will be dedicated to the sisters’ “favourite charities.”

RCMP are still investigating the accident that led to Shiloh’ death and are seeking witnesses. According to CBC, police are looking for drivers “of a red vehicle” and a “black pickup truck” that were reportedly near the accident when it occurred.