Two Hinton Hockey Players Killed in Highway Crash Remembered as Inseparable Best Friends
Kayla Peacock, 17, and Danica Hills, 18, died Monday night when their pickup truck collided with a semi-trailer on Highway 16, about 10 kilometres east of the Jasper townsite, according to RCMP. Both were members of the Jasper U18 Bearcats hockey team, and both were Grade 12 students at Harry Collinge High School in Hinton, Alberta.
The two teenagers were travelling home to Hinton from hockey practice and a team photoshoot before the collision, said Grant Bradley, president of Jasper Minor Sports. Peacock was driving the pickup truck and Hills was a passenger. Both were declared dead at the scene, police said.
RCMP stated that road conditions are believed to be a factor in the crash.
‘Did Everything Together’
In a statement to CBC News, Peacock’s cousin, Jayden Calvert, said the two girls were best friends who “did everything together.” The teenagers planned to live together in Edmonton after graduating high school this spring, Calvert said.
Both had clear plans for their futures. Hills had been accepted into the University of Alberta’s faculty of engineering. Peacock planned to attend MC College to become a hairstylist.
Their bond stretched far beyond the hockey rink. Before playing three years of hockey together, the pair played ringette together for 11 years — meaning their friendship and athletic partnership spanned well over a decade.
‘Just Ready to Set the World on Fire’
Hinton Mayor Brian LaBerge described the loss as “shredding.”
“These are two really young people who are just ready to set the world on fire and they haven’t had their turn,” he said.
LaBerge described the teenagers as “bright lights” and said they were dedicated to both academics and athletics. He emphasized the impact on their school community in Hinton, where the loss of two seniors just months from graduation has left deep grief.
The flags at Harry Collinge High School are being flown at half-mast. Classes resumed Thursday. The Grande Yellowhead Public School Division said grief counselling and mental health support are available to students and staff.
“Our entire district community is mourning,” Supt. Kurt Scobie said. “There are no words that can fully capture the grief of such a loss.”
Young Athletes Carrying a Heavy Burden
Bradley offered a perspective on how the community’s youngest members are processing the tragedy.
“The kids, they’re handling it better than I can imagine. The adults are having arguably a harder time because they’re parents. … Losing a child, it’s heart-wrenching,” Bradley said.
The grief extends across both the Hinton and Jasper communities, where youth sports serve as a central bond. A National Junior Hockey League game is scheduled in Jasper on Friday between the Edson Eagles and Hinton Canadians. Organizers said the game will include a moment of silence for Peacock and Hills and a 50/50 raffle, with proceeds going to their families.
The Jasper U18 Bearcats are scheduled to play their first game since the crash on March 6 against the Edson Sabres.
The crash has renewed difficult conversations about the risks young athletes face while travelling long distances in remote parts of Alberta.
Bradley said travel is common for teams in remote communities like Hinton and Jasper and noted broader safety concerns.
“This is not the first incident this year in Alberta,” he said. “So that’s one of the concerns and it has been raised at league level as to travel.”
“There’s young people that travel many miles on the road over their young hockey careers, and they’re at risk in doing this and progressing themselves in hockey,” Bradley said.
The crash occurred three weeks after three hockey players were killed in a collision in southern Alberta while driving to a team practice.
Remembering Kayla and Danica
What emerges from the words of those who knew Peacock and Hills is a portrait of two young women deeply intertwined in each other’s lives and invested in their futures. They were athletes, students, and best friends who had already mapped out the next chapter together in Edmonton.
Their community in Hinton is now left to grieve while rallying around two families facing an unimaginable loss.
As Scobie said: “There are no words that can fully capture the grief of such a loss.”
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
