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By Michael Reeve

CRIMINAL CHARGES FORWARDED

Kamloops RCMP initially recommended criminal charges in TRU crash investigation: victims’ families

Dec 10, 2024 | 12:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops RCMP investigation into the fatal 2023 crash involving three TRU volleyball players concluded with Mounties recommending criminal charges to the Crown.

The revelation comes in a letter sent to Attorney General Niki Sharma from Chris Brinnen — a retired police officer — on behalf of the Brinnen (Riley), Waterhouse (Owen), and McInnis (Owyn) families.

Before the Crown decided to proceed with charges under the Motor Vehicle Act against driver Colval Abbinett, Kamloops RCMP investigators forwarded three criminal charges for consideration, including dangerous operation causing death.

“[T]he RCMP completed a full criminal investigation recommending one count of dangerous operation of a conveyance causing death and two counts of dangerous operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm,” reads the letter sent to Sharma, dated December 8, 2024.

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Kamloops RCMP declined to provide any further information on the file as it is currently before the courts, with Abbinett set for his first appearance on December 23.

The letter from the families — which requests a meeting with the attorney general, deputy attorney general or assistant deputy attorney general — questions what the families believe will be Abbinett’s defence in court.

Letter to Niki Sharma

“Due to the referencing of case law, in particular, R vs Jiang, one can assume that Abbinett’s defence is that he fell asleep. A defence, after a witness observing him take off from an intersection at an incredibly high rate of speed, and in less than a minute from that moment, in the middle of the day, on a busy and noisy part of the city, he fell asleep? A common, reasonable person would find this incredibly unlikely, especially given Abbinett’s history of putting individuals at risk and blatant disregard for public safety,” continues the letter to Sharma.

This is the third letter the families have sent to the attorney general. Brinnen states the family has received ‘no direct response.’