A driver died after being ejected from his vehicle in an early morning crash in Kelowna on Monday, and the police watchdog is now investigating because RCMP attended near the scene but said they didn’t see the vehicle.
“Information provided by the RCMP indicates that on June 1, 2020 at approximately 1:15 a.m., signs of a collision having occurred were noted on the road near the intersection of Highway 97 North and University Way,” the Independent Investigations Office said in a news release.
“An officer attended and did not observe a vehicle or collision, so no further action was taken.”
Just before 6 a.m., RCMP said they then received a report of a single-vehicle collision on the 3100-block of Bulman Road, which is a bike trail that runs parallel to the highway.
They found the body of the driver nearby.
On Monday, Kelowna RCMP sent a release saying that the collision was not reported when it occurred.
The IIO said it will investigate to determine what role, if any, the officer’s actions or inaction may have played in the death of the man, including if the search location was the same as the collision and whether the man could have been saved, given his injuries.
The BC Coroners Service is also conducting its own independent investigation to determine how and when the driver died.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the IIO at 1-855-446-8477.
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