The occupants of a car that collided with an RCMP sport utility vehicle at the intersection of Highways 16 and 97 on Saturday night are seeking witnesses as part of making an insurance claim.
Chanice MacGillivray, 20, was a passenger in a black 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt her boyfriend, Cody Archer, 20, was driving west on Highway 16 when they stopped for a red light at the intersection with Highway 97 shortly before 8 p.m.
When the light turned green, they proceeded into the intersection.
"And I turned my head to the left and I saw flashing lights and I screamed and the cop truck hit us," MacGillivray said.
MacGillivray said the RCMP vehicle, a Chevrolet Tahoe with a bush bumper, had its lights on but not its siren when the collision occurred. Only after the accident was the siren activated, MacGillivray said.
She said the officer did not tell her why he turned the siren on at that point but assumed it was to let other drivers know there was an accident.
If they can prove to ICBC that the officer did not have the siren activated prior to that point, MacGillivray said it might prevent the insurer from increasing Archer's premiums.
The couple suffered only minor injuries.
"Just normal whiplash and I had brushing from the belts," MacGillivray said.
But the car was not so lucky. She said it was a straight hit to the car's front and the radiator blew at the scene.
MacGillivray was not sure where the officer was coming from when the collision occurred although she suspects he was coming through on Highway 97 as opposed to turning onto Highway 97 from Highway 16.
"When he talked to us, he said he was going out to Old Summit Lake Road to deal with a domestic disturbance," MacGillivray said.
She also suspects he did not see them because they were hidden away behind a large pickup truck that was waiting in the left-hand turning lane on Highway 16.
One witness has been in contact with her but has refused to provide a statement until she gets a lawyer. MacGillivray is hoping she won't have to take that route.
"I would rather just go through ICBC and get it done and over with," she said.
Prince George RCMP Cpl. Craig Douglass said police have received statements in response to a story on the collision that ran in Tuesday's Citizen and are continuing to investigate. If it turns out the officer made a mistake, the detachment will own up to it, Douglass said.
ICBC spokesperson Michelle Hargrave said RCMP are self insured but as far as ICBC-insured drivers are concerned the process is the same once a claim has been filed.
"It would be assigned to an adjuster and then our adjuster would work together with the adjuster from the RCMP to determine liability," Hargrave said.
Hargrave declined to comment on the specifics of MacGillivray;s situation.
MacGillivray can be contacted at 250-301-3287 or through her Facebook page.
