A North District RCMP officer was fined $500 Wednesday after pleading guilty to driving at an excessive speed under the Motor Vehicle Act in relation to a rear-end collision on Highway 97 near Bear Lake that left a woman with extensive and long-lasting injuries.
According to an account read into the record during a hearing at the Prince George courthouse, both Cst. Jay Barban and the woman were heading south on Highway 97 on the afternoon of Aug. 19, 2021,
Driving an unmarked police SUV, Barban, 38, was directly behind the woman's small compact car. Both were travelling at 125 km/h when just north of Bear Lake they came up to a crew painting lines in the middle of the highway. The woman applied her brakes and so did Barban but he was too close to prevent a collision.
The woman's car was pushed into the ditch on the opposite side of the highway. Barban helped the woman up the bank and into his vehicle where they waited for an ambulance.
The woman was taken to hospital where she was examined and released with no visible signs of injury and the Independent Investigations Office was not initially notified as a result. But the woman's condition took a turn for the worse and when she subsequently lodged a complaint, an investigation was launched eight months later.
By mid-September 2022, a count of driving without due care under the MVA was approved against Barban. The count carries a minimum fine of $100 but Barban pleaded guilty to excessive speed which carries a minimum $167 fine and entered the plea without an arraignment the court was told. Barban was also issued three demerit points on his driver's licence and the RCMP placed a negative citation on his performance record.
Barban accepted that he failed to provide enough room to safely stop, including in the event that the lead driver makes an emergency stop, the court was told.
During the hearing, Barban was described as a valued and highly-qualified member of the North District detachment. Barban, who took the hearing in via videoconferencing, apologized. "I really do feel bad about it," he said.
The outcome held no solace for the woman. Barely able to walk, she needed a cane and help from friends as she inched her way into the courtroom.
She said she is unable to work and has run into serious financial trouble.
"I'm lost. I had everything planned out. Now I have to start over," she said outside the courthouse.
