The investigation continues into an accident that claimed the life of a Vernon youth.
On Sunday at about 11:10 p.m., a 17-year-old boy was riding his longboard at 39th Street and Okanagan Avenue when he was struck by a vehicle. He died from his injuries at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.
“We have identified who the young person is and officers have spoken to family members,” said Gord Molendyk, RCMP spokesperson.
It took some time to identify the individual because he did not have any identification on him.
The coroner’s office has not released his name.
It’s believed the incident may have occurred when the longboarder failed to stop at a stop sign.
“It was dark at the time and the driver of the vehicle involved didn’t see him until it was too late to take evasive action,” said Molendyk.
“It’s a very tragic situation.”
The driver of the vehicle has co-operated with the police.
RCMP continue to gather information about the case.
“The crash analyst is working on the case and officers are conducting a mechanical inspection of the vehicle,” said Molendyk, adding that mechanical inspections are standard.
“At the end of the day, there could possibly be a civil case or it goes to court and we are expected to answer questions in court so we do a thorough investigation because we don’t know what will happen in two or three years (with legal action).”
