Image Credit: IIO

By James Peters

IIO

Police watchdog clears Kamloops RCMP after dispatch delay precedes crash near Chase

Jan 5, 2023 | 9:11 AM

KAMLOOPS — B.C.’s police watchdog says Kamloops RCMP are not to blame after a delayed response to a warning was followed by a serious highway collision near Chase.

On October 16, 2022, RCMP in Kamloops were alerted to an elderly man who was about to embark on a drive to Calgary. The caller stated they did not believe the man could do so safely and that the man was willing to talk to police before he left.

In a news release, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) says “operational issues” led to a 42-minute delay between the call coming in and a dispatch of information regarding the man’s potential inability to drive safely. That is also how long it took for an officer to be informed that the man was waiting to speak to police.

After waiting about 30 minutes, the man departed Kamloops for Calgary.

Hours later, the man’s vehicle was involved in a serious collision with an oncoming vehicle on the Trans Canada Highway near Chase.

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The elderly driver was seriously injured and was airlifted to hospital for treatment. Occupants of the second vehicle also suffered injuries.

After reviewing the file, IIO Chief Civilian Director Ron McDonald says the delay in dispatching information was not the fault of officers, and thus their actions or inactions did not cause the collision.