Man pleads guilty to dangerous driving after killing Kelowna teen Tristan Seeger

A courtroom in Kelowna heard Brandon Kazakoff plead guilty to dangerous driving causing death and assault for the October 21, 2023 crash that killed 15-year-old Tristan Seeger. The fatal encounter stemmed from a prior incident where Kazakoff’s father was bear-sprayed, leading Kazakoff to locate the teens and assault one of them before turning his car around and striking Tristan at an intersection. He then fled, later changing his licence plates and burning the vehicle on a forest service road.

Defense counsel Glenn Verdurmen described the episode as a “horrendous, horrible mistake” and said Kazakoff experiences daily remorse. Tristan’s parents, Jason Seeger and Paule Moore, expressed that the plea spares them a trial but cannot undo their loss, noting the deep hurt in the Rutland and Kelowna communities. Kazakoff’s sentencing is slated for early 2027.