Guilty plea in connection with Kelowna teen’s death

A painful day in court for the family and friends of  Tristan Seeger, a Kelowna teen who was fatally run down by a vehicle three years ago.

They packed a Kelowna courtroom Tuesday as the man responsible for the 15-year-old’s death, Brandon Kazakoff, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and assault.

The guilty pleas stem from an incident on Oct. 21, 2023.

“I’m glad he admitted what he did to my son, whether or not it’s remorseful or not, only he knows,” Tristan’s father, Jason Seeger, said.

Tristan’s mother, Paule Moore, said she wanted Kazakoff to face the family.

“He killed my son with a car. He didn’t even have the guts to look him in the eye, and he needed to look us in the eye,” she said.

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Court heard that shortly before the fatal collision, Tristan was part of a group of teenagers involved in an incident in which Kazakoff’s father was bear-sprayed.

After learning about the incident, Kazakoff went looking for the group.

He eventually found the teenagers and assaulted one of them, according to the court proceedings.

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Kazakoff then got back into his vehicle. While stopped at an intersection, Tristan deployed bear spray toward the passenger side of the car. Kazakoff turned the vehicle around and drove into the teenager.

He fled the scene. In the days that followed, Kazakoff changed his licence plates and set his vehicle on fire along a forest service road.

Kazakoff’s defence lawyer, Glenn Verdurmen, described the incident as “one horrendous, horrible mistake.”

Verdurmen said his client feels remorse for his actions and understands the impact the case has had on the community.

“It’s ripped up a lot of people in the Rutland and Kelowna area, and the hurt has gone deep, and that’s not lost on my client,” Verdurmen said. “He tells me that this is what he thinks about every day.”

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For Tristan’s family, the guilty plea means they will not have to relive the painful details of the case through a trial. But they say no outcome in court can undo their loss.

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Asked what justice would look like, Jason Seeger said for him, there isn’t any.

“Bring my son back, but we know that’s not going to happen,” he said, choking back tears.

Instead, the family is left holding on to memories of a teenager they remember for his laughter, charisma and adventurous spirit.

“His cheeky grin and his devil-may-care attitude and his willingness to just do anything,” Moore said. “I miss that stuff about him. You know, we miss him every day.”

Kazakoff is expected to be sentenced at a later date, likely in early 2027.