By Canadian Press

B.C. man charged over tractor crash with police during 2023 anti-SOGI protest

Dec 23, 2024 | 12:08 PM

SURREY, B.C. — Mounties say a Chilliwack, B.C., man has been charged with three criminal offences after a crash between a tractor and BC Highway Patrol vehicle during a 2023 protest.

They say the 54-year-old was arrested on Dec. 18 and will appear in Surrey Provincial Court on Jan. 16, charged with fleeing police, dangerous operation of a vehicle and assaulting a police officer with a weapon.

RCMP said last year that the tractor was one of several vehicles involved in a convoy that began in Chilliwack and was travelling to Vancouver.

The tractor driver sustained serious injuries in the crash that left an officer with minor injuries.

Photos from the collision posted to social media at the time showed a John Deere tractor on its side, and that it was flying a black and white flag that read “stop SOGI 123,” an apparent reference to a set of classroom guidelines on sexual orientation and gender identity.

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Several protests erupted in cities across Canada last fall by those opposed to the educational resource intended to create more inclusive classrooms.

The Independent Investigations Office issued a statement in February after concluding its investigation into the Highway 17 crash in Surrey, saying it had cleared police of any wrongdoing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024.

The Canadian Press