IIO closes preliminary investigation in Penticton

INFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office (IIO)
For Immediate Release
May 17, 2013

SURREY – The IIO confirms that it will not proceed with an investigation into a Penticton RCMP officer’s involvement in a May 11, 2013, motorcycle crash.

At 10 p.m. on May 11, 2013, the IIO was notified of an incident that had taken place approximately one hour earlier on Eastside Road between Penticton and Okanagan Falls. An adult male had died as a result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash. As an RCMP officer had been in the area and had observed the motorcycle shortly before the crash, the IIO initiated a preliminary investigation.

IIO investigators, including a Traffic Reconstruction Analyst, were deployed to the scene. During the preliminary investigation, the IIO team examined information obtained from the in-car video camera that had been mounted in the officer’s police vehicle and was able to ascertain the following facts.

At 8:52 p.m., an RCMP officer was driving south on Eastside Road. At 8:52:08, a motorcycle travelling north passed the officer registering 137 kph on the police vehicle’s dashboard radar.

At 8:52:12, the officer activated his overhead emergency lights and at 8:52:16, a second motorcycle travelling north passed him. He waited until the second motorcycle passed before turning the police vehicle around to travel north.

At 8:52:59, the officer passed the second motorcycle that had pulled over at the side of the road. The first motorcycle was not visible. The officer turned off the emergency lights and braked for a curve in the road.

At 8:53:12, the officer rounded the curve in the road and observed a “large dust cloud” ahead of him. He re-activated his emergency lights and at 8:53:26, arrived at the scene of the crash. The male operator of the motorcycle did not survive his injuries. The female passenger sustained injuries and was admitted to hospital.

According to the analysis, the total time from the first sight of the motorcycle until the crash was 67 seconds. The traffic reconstruction analyst determined that the motorcycle was a considerable distance north of the officer when he first activated the emergency lights.

While the crash did result in death and other serious harm to the affected persons, the Chief Civilian Director determined that the officer’s actions were non-contributory in the crash. The IIO file will be closed with no further action.

For more information related to cases under investigation by the IIO, see: https://iiobc.ca/cases/

Contact:
Owen Court
Independent Investigations Office of BC
owen.court@iiobc.ca