B.C.’s police watchdog has ruled Vancouver police did not contribute to a horrific high-speed crash that killed a Yellow Cab driver late last year.
Sanehpal Singh Randhawa, 28, was killed when his taxi was struck by a speeding ShareNow vehicle in the intersection of East 1st Avenue and Renfrew Street on Dec. 29.
Police said the Car2Go had fled “at a high rate of speed” from officers who attempted to pull the driver over at a CounterAttack roadblock nearby.
While police said there wasn’t a pursuit, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) was called in to investigate whether any police actions or inaction contributed to the crash.
On Wednesday, the IIO said it had discontinued its probe into the crash after the evidence found police did not play a role.
“While police did attempt to stop the driver at a roadcheck, no further police contact was made,” the watchdog said in a statement.
“Police were not in the vicinity at the time of the collision and only learned of it after other emergency services arrived at the scene.”
Exclusive video obtained by Global News showed the Car2Go Smart car flying in excess of 120 km/hr eastbound on Hastings Street shortly before the crash.
The car is believed to have then turned south on Renfrew Street, where police lost sight of the vehicle.
Randhawa was pronounced dead at the scene, while his two passengers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the Car2Go, identified by multiple sources as 29-year-old Gary Holohan, suffered life-threatening injuries and remains in hospital in serious condition.
Police say speed was a factor in the crash, and are investigating the potential role of driver impairment.
—With files from Simon Little
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