Police in B.C. are seeking witnesses and video related to a tractor crash during an anti-SOGI protest in Vancouver in November.
The tractor rolled over as police were trying to pull it over on the 176 Street Overpass over Highway 1 in Surrey on Nov. 25. Video of the incident circulated widely on social media.
The tractor driver was ejected from the vehicle and taken to hospital with serious injuries.
On Friday, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) cleared police of any wrongdoing in the incident, which it described as a “result of interactions between the police vehicles and the tractor.”
The driver, who has been identified as Bill Shoker, was participating in a “STOP SOGI-123” rally at the time, his wife told Global News.
SOGI-123 is a school resource package intended to promote tolerance of gender and family diversity but has generated controversy among some politicians and parents.
On Wednesday, the BC Highway Patrol said that while the IIO investigation has closed, a separate investigation into the actions of the driver remains ongoing.
Highway patrol officers are looking for witnesses and dash-cam video related to the incident, “including pre-collision driving behaviour and post-collision footage.”
Anyone who saw the tractor or has video that hasn’t been submitted to investigators is asked to contact BC Highway Patrol at E_BCHP_Media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca or 778-290-5761.