Salmon Arm RCMP have been cleared of any wrongdoing in an incident April 22 when a woman was seriously injured in a head-on collision on Highway 1 near Salmon Arm.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC concluded its investigation involving a blue Pontiac Vibe.
BC RCMP issued an earlier news release stating that on April 22, 2021 about 5:25 p.m., officers responded to reports of a disturbance at a residence in the 700 block of Abbington Lane in Tappen. A caller indicated that a blue Pontiac Vibe may have been associated with the disturbance.
Police travelling to the residence reported observing a Pontiac matching the description travelling in the opposite direction at a high speed.
“Video from the police vehicle confirms the Pontiac was being driven erratically and that the officers turned their vehicle around about half a minute later to follow the vehicle, but the Pontiac was already out of view. The video shows that officers did not activate their emergency equipment to pursue the vehicle but continued to drive in the direction the Pontiac had gone,” the IIO news release stated.
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The IIO noted that independent witnesses who observed the crash confirmed police were not in view when the collision occurred, nor was emergency equipment activated when they arrived.
The IIO investigation determined there was no connection between the actions of the police and the collision.
“The evidence clearly shows that the erratic driving began before the officers turned around and that they did not engage in a pursuit. Police therefore did not contribute to the subsequent collision.”
The IIO is an independent civilian oversight agency of police in B.C. that investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death.
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