Portions of 264th Street and 16th Avenue were closed after a major crash early March 18. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)

Portions of 264th Street and 16th Avenue were closed after a major crash early March 18. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)

Police watchdog investigates Aldergrove crash

Mazda crashed into truck shortly after police tried to pull car over

A serious crash in Aldergrove early Monday morning that left one man seriously injured is now under investigation by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO).

The crash took place at about 12:20 a.m. at the intersection of 264th Street and 16th Avenue, one of the busiest spots in rural Langley.

According to a Tuesday press release from the IIO, just before the crash, a Langley RCMP officer saw a black Mazda travelling east on 16th Avenue and tried to pull it over for a traffic stop.

The Mazda did not stop. Shortly after that, it collided with a semi-truck in the intersection.

The male passenger was seriously injured, according to the IIO, with early reports from Langley RCMP suggesting the injuries were potentially critical.

The woman driving the car suffered only minor injuries, said the IIO.

The driver of the semi truck was not hurt and stayed at the scene of the crash, said Langley RCMP.

READ MORE: Two hurt in two-vehicle crash south of Aldergrove

The IIO was notified of the incident shortly after it occurred, and has started an investigation. The first steps will be to find out what role, if any, police actions may have played in the collision.

The IIO is an arms-length official body that investigates any serious injury or death in B.C. that involves an interaction with police, from collisions to police shootings. Its reports can recommend that criminal charges be laid.

The IIO is asking any person who saw the collision between 12 a.m. and 12:30 a.m., or has other relevant information about the incident, to contact the agency by calling the Witness Line at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.

The area was cordoned off for several hours to help those involved and initiate an investigation, which involves the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service (ICARS) and Langley RCMP.

Mounties are also asking for public assistance, including dash cam footage, with people asked to call the RCMP detachment at 604-532-3200 and to quote file number 2024-8319.

AldergroveIndependent Investigations Office of B.C.Langley RCMP