Memorial grows at site where UBC students were killed by vehicle that mounted campus sidewalk

A small memorial for two teenage students killed by a vehicle at the University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus began to slowly grow on Monday, as fellow students and faculty grapple with the tragedy and questions of whether it could have been prevented.

Mourners and passersby came to the sidewalk one by one, pausing for a quiet moment or laying bouquets of flowers in the grass. Remnants of the crash — shards of plastic and a sheared-off traffic pole — still lay nearby.

It had been less than 36 hours since two students were hit by a vehicle that veered onto the sidewalk on NW Marine Drive, near the UBC Botanical Garden, around 1:45 a.m. PT on Sunday.

Both students were 18 years old — one male, one female. 

RCMP said the driver of the vehicle, a 21-year-old man, was arrested at the scene and taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. He was later released and was expected to appear in court at a later date.

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash and are looking to determine whether speed or impairment played a role.

The crash site is just north of the botanical gardens, behind the Totem Park residence. Marine Drive is a wide road stretching northwest around the coastline and, at night, is generally devoid of traffic.