The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC has concluded an investigation into a death in Prince George following a fatal collision on Highway 97.
Although the pedestrian who was killed had been the subject of an unsuccessful traffic stop hours earlier, the IIO found the actions of police did not contribute to his death.
On Dec. 7 at about 11:30 p.m. officers conducting an ongoing investigation observed a red Dodge Caravan leaving a residence.
When police attempted to stop the Caravan, the male driver of the van fled onto Highway 97 southbound.
The officer did not pursue but tried to follow the tracks in the fresh snow for about 30 minutes before the trail was lost.
An hour later, at about 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 8, police received a call from a civilian who reported speaking to a man in a red Caravan that was pulled off the side of the road at McKelvie Road near Highway 97 in Hixon.
The civilian said the man told him he was hiding from police before departing. The civilian then drove around to look for the vehicle and spotted it on Sleepy Hollow Road but later lost sight of it.
The vehicle matched the description of the van police had attempted to stop earlier that evening.
Then between 1:55 a.m. and 2:35 a.m., the RCMP received several calls about a male pedestrian in the southbound lane of Highway 97, south of Widdis Road.
Police attended around 2:45 a.m. and reported locating a deceased male and a red Caravan a short distance away from where the male was found.
The road was closed to traffic in both directions for several hours to allow police to gather evidence.
The Chief Civilian Director has now reviewed the evidence including information from the BC Coroners Service and police records and determined the actions of police did not contribute to the man’s death.
After the unsuccessful traffic stop before midnight on Dec. 7, police had no contact with the driver of the Caravan before his death.
The IIO has concluded its investigation but the BC Coroners Service investigation into the manner and cause of death continues.
The IIO is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in British Columbia.
It investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.
