2 Surrey police officers could face charges over wrong-way driver crash

British Columbia’s civilian police watchdog has opened the door to charges against two Surrey police officers over a crash last year.

The collision happened around 8 a.m. on June 18, involving a suspect vehicle speeding the wrong way into oncoming traffic. Part of the incident was captured on dash camera video.

At the time, Surrey RCMP said officers were responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle and possible “indecent act” in a parking lot at the Green Timbers Urban Forest.

The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) said at the time that two people, a man and a woman, were in the vehicle.

When police arrived, the vehicle sped off on 100 Avenue, and was then involved in a multi-vehicle crash where the route intersected with 140 Street, Mounties said at the time.

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The male driver tried to flee on foot, but police deployed a Taser and arrested him. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries, according to an RCMP release. No one else was seriously hurt in the crash.

In a media release Thursday, the IIO said its new Chief Civilian Director Sandra Hentzen concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe two officers had committed “grounds to pursue” and driving offences.

One officer is with the Surrey RCMP and one is with the Surrey Police Service.

Hentzen has forwarded a report on the incident to the BC Prosecution Service, which is responsible for approving charges.

The IIO’s mandate is to investigate all police interactions resulting in serious injury or death, regardless of whether there is an allegation of wrongdoing.