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RCMP Officer Not Responsible for Yarmouth Crash
The province's independent Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) today released its report regarding an investigation into a June 11, 2017 crash between an ATV and a motorcycle on Highway #335 near West Pubnico. The collision sent a 31-year-old male and a 21-year-old-male to hospital with serious injuries.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. that day RCMP officers were patrolling in the area as part of the Safe Grad program. They checked on a residence where a grad party was being held and found it was being well supervised by parents. Near that location, they observed an ATV and a motorcycle stopped at the side of the road.
When the police vehicle began to make a u-turn to check on those vehicles, the police saw the ATV coming toward them travelling on the roadway, without a lit headlight. The motorcycle was behind it. The emergency equipment was activated on the police vehicle at that time. The ATV first slowed to a pause, and then accelerated in another direction. At that point, the motorcycle crashed into the ATV. This collision took place about 15 metres from the police vehicle.
The driver of the ATV and motorcycle have each been charged with impaired driving and driving with an illegally high blood alcohol level. The accident was not caused by the actions of the police, but appears to have been due to the impairment and imprudent driving of the two males.
In these circumstances, there are no grounds to consider any charges against the police officer.
A complete copy of the report is available at http://sirt.novascotia.ca.
SIRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia. Investigations are under the direction and control of independent civilian director Ron MacDonald, who is solely responsible for decisions respecting the laying of any charge.
Media Contact:
Ron MacDonald, QC
Director
902-424-8400 (o)
902-718-9707 (m)
