Charges laid more than a year after six-year-old girl killed in Surrey hit-and-run

Jayla Chang, who was six when she was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Surrey, B.C., is shown in this photo submitted by her parents.

Several charges have been laid against a 38-year-old man in connection with a Surrey hit-and-run that resulted in the death of a six-year-old girl last spring, police announced Tuesday.

The Surrey Police Service said Jayla Chang and her two siblings, a seven-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, were struck by a grey pickup truck on the afternoon of Apr. 13, 2025, at the intersection of 164 Street and 108 Avenue.

• Related: ‘She just had a light and energy about her’: B.C. family remembers child killed by hit-and-run driver

The driver did not remain at the scene, police said. Paramedics and Surrey firefighters responded, attempting life-saving medical interventions, but Chang ultimately succumbed to her injuries.

CTV News spoke with Chang’s family days after the tragic incident. At the time, her brother said she “just brought so much joy to the world.”

Her two siblings were also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the collision.

Shortly after the hit-and-run, a suspect driving a grey pickup truck was arrested in Surrey and released without charges. Police then said alcohol may have been a contributing factor.

In a news release Tuesday, the SPS said an RCMP unit has been gathering evidence since, in order to “piece together the circumstances surrounding this fatal motor vehicle incident.”

“Through this complex investigation, officers were able to identify one suspect who is believed to be responsible,” the department said.

The B.C. Prosecution Service approved 12 charges against Surrey resident Baldeep Chahal on Sept. 10, including:

• One count of dangerous driving causing death;
• Two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm;
• One count of impaired driving causing death;
• Two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm;
• One count of blood alcohol concentration that was equal to or exceeded 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, while driving causing death;
• Two counts of blood alcohol concentration that was equal to or exceeded 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, while driving causing bodily harm;
• One count of failing to stop after being involved in an accident resulting in death; and
• Two counts of failing to stop after being involved in an accident resulting in bodily harm.

Online court records show Chahal is due to appear before a judge in Surrey on Oct. 1. The SPS said it will provide no further information on the matter, as the case is now before the courts.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Michele Brunoro