PENTICTON — Flowers and teddy bears lay at the scene of a fatal crash on Fairview Road and Highway 97 in Penticton that claimed the life of a five-year-old boy last night.
READ MORE: IIO investigates fatal police-involved collision in Penticton
A pair of cards read: “As a mother of three my heart breaks for your family’s loss. My thoughts are with you in this time of tragedy” and “Fly with the angels now James. You are loved.”
Holy Cross School in Penticton has identified the boy as James McIntosh. He was just starting first grade.
“James was a beautiful and innocent young child,” said principal Shawn Campbell in a news release. “He proved to be an absolute dynamo whose energy was boundless. His death is a tragic loss to his family and for our school community.”
Counselling services provided by School District 67 are now being offered through the school and in the community.
Police say McIntosh, his brother and father were crossing the street in a crosswalk when the accident happened.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) has taken over the case, as RCMP report an off-duty police officer, in his personal vehicle, was behind the wheel of the pick-up truck that struck and killed the young boy.
Global News has learned the RCMP officer involved is Ace Stewart, an aboriginal member who works on the Penticton Indian Reserve. It’s not known if Stewart has agreed to be interviewed by investigators.
“We have a total of seven investigators involved at this point of time, including an expert in collision reconstruction and we have a person to deal with the affected persons, the family involved,” says IIO spokesperson, Ralph Krenz.-
– with files from Blaine Gaffney
Comments