Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story stated the driver died in the crash, but it was a passenger who died in the collision.
A high-speed car accident in Kelowna in June in which four people were injured, including one who subsequently died from his injuries, could have been much worse, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. ruled this week.
The crash, which took place between Nickel Road and Gerstmar Road at approximately 3 a.m., involved a silver, two-door coupe that was travelling at a high rate of speed. Inside the coupe were the driver and three passengers, one of whom owned the coupe.
The westbound coupe passed an eastbound police car on Highway 33, with the officer estimating the coupe’s rate of speed being in excess of 80 kilometres per hour. The speed limit for Highway 33 at that area is 50 km/h.
The report said the officer activated his emergency lights prior to making a u-turn, and that the coupe was approximately 300 metres in front of him, driving down the middle of Highway 33 and was crossing into the eastbound lanes.
The officer said the coupe went back and forth across Highway 33 at more than 130 km/h, eventually veering left, going over the sidewalk and colliding with a concrete fence.
The collision resulted in debris being scattered across the road, and all four people inside the car getting injured.
An oncoming motorist said he was driving east along Highway 33 and saw a police car with its lights on. Seconds later, the witness said he saw the silver coupe speeding in his direction, going between 80 km/h and 110 km/h, with the police car about a quarter-mile behind.
The wintness said as the silver coupe approached him, it swerved into his lane, and he had to swerve to the opposite side of Highway 33 to avoid a collision. The witness said as the coupe passed him, it then crashed into the concrete wall.
The witness said he “swerved just in time or else we would’ve probably [had a] head-on collision.”
The IIO became involved to see if the officer’s actions – pursuing the coupe – “may have committed an offence in relation to the incident that led to the death or injury of an affected person.”
In summing up the incident, the IIO said the officer activated his lights and made a u-turn and exceeded the speed limit in pursuing the coupe.
Notably, a second police officer, parked facing east at a business on Highway 33, spotted the coupe travelling west at speeds between 130 km/h and 150 km/h. Seconds later, the second officer noted the first officer travelling in the same direction with his lights and siren activated.
The report says the first officer reached a speed of 146 km/h while pursuing the coupe before reducing his speed.
The report also had comments from three people inside the coupe.
The first person, the owner of the coupe, said she was sleeping in the front seat when the driver awoke her, saying “the cops are behind us.”
The owner said she was confused as to why they were running from police and looked back. Then she looked forward and saw headlights. She said her next memory was waking up on the sidewalk in a lot of pain.
The second person said he had very little recollection of the accident, other than spinning out of control. The third person said he had no memory of the accident.
For more on the report, click here.
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