A MAN who died after being run over last year has had his death ruled accidental.
The BC Coroners Service coroner’s report on the death of Marcel Jason Fowler, also known as Randy, 31, said he bled to death when the left ventricle of his heart ruptured after he was hit by a van while laying on a road in Thornhill in June 2012.
The report also said his level of alcohol intoxication, found to be 0.35 per cent indicating a heavy level of alcohol intoxication, was a contributing factor in his death.
Fowler was found dead on Haaland Road in Thornhill when police were called about 2 a.m. June 12, 2012, said the coroner’s report.
The driver of an eastbound 2001 Chevrolet Venture van that hit Fowler told police he had seen a dark object near the middle of the road but did not realize it was a person until it was too late to avoid running over him, said the report.
Terrace RCMP ruled out any foul play, continued the report.
The RCMP Collision Reconstructionist’s report said the part of Haaland Road where the accident happened was a two lane paved road with gravel shoulders with a centre line that was a dashed yellow line for eastbound traffic and a solid yellow centre line for westbound traffic and the posted speed limit was 50 km/hr.
When the accident occurred, it was completely darkness with no ambient lighting, the temperature was 12 C and it was raining, continued the report.
The conclusion by the collision reconstructionist was that there wasn’t enough evidence to determine what speed the van was going before or after the incident, said the coroner’d report.
It was noted that the damage to the van was on the bottom of the front left side bumper and along the left underbody and there was no damage above the front bumper, said the report.
Fowler was wearing dark clothing when found and had a broken glass alcohol container in his left coat sleeve, said the coroner’s report.
An initial police report on the accident indicated it happened in front of the Costa Lessa Motel in Thornhill.
That was subsequently corrected.
