B.C.’s police watchdog has decided a Revelstoke Mountie was not at fault in a snowmobile crash that left a man seriously injured.
The snowmobiler was spotted by an RCMP officer on Highway 1 eastbound near Victoria Street, while riding without a helmet Dec. 13. He subsequently crashed into a parked semi and sustained serious injuries on Woodenhead Loop, according to a press release from the Independent Investigations Office.
“Video evidence from the officer’s police vehicle confirms that the officer turned around to travel in the direction the snowmobile was last seen but did not attempt to stop or pursue. Shortly thereafter, the video shows the officer coming upon the snowmobile, without its rider, which had collided with a parked semi-truck,” the IIO report reads.
“The man riding the snowmobile had walked a short distance from the scene of the collision and was located by officers a few minutes later.”
Emergency Health Services attended and transported the man to a local hospital for treatment.
The Chief Civilian Director has reviewed the evidence, including video and medical records, and determined that the actions of the officer were appropriate and did not cause the man’s injuries. The IIO investigation is now concluded.
The IIO is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in B.C. It investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.