By Dominic Abassi

Driver fleeing police causes double-fatal accident on highway south of Nanaimo

Jan 14, 2019 | 11:53 AM

NANAIMO — BC RCMP say a failed traffic stop in Harewood ended in a head-on crash which claimed the life of two people on the Trans-Canada Hwy. south of Nanaimo.

BC RCMP said a Nanaimo Mountie tried to stop a white GMC pick-up truck in Harewoord, near Tenth St., just before 1 a.m. on Jan. 14. But the driver of the pick-up took off, racing onto the Trans-Canada Hwy.

“The vehicle was last seen heading southbound in the northbound lane of the Trans-Canada Hwy.,” an RCMP statement said. “A two vehicle head-on collision, between the same GMC pick-up and another vehicle was located in the northbound lane.”

Both male drivers were pronounced dead at the scene, which was just under one kilometre south of the Cedar Rd. intersection. No other people were involved.

RCMP said the Independent Investigations Office is now trying to determine if police action or inaction are linked to the driver’s death.

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It’s unclear if the officer was in pursuit at the time of the crash. An IIO release said the officer “observed” the truck driving the wrong way on the highway shortly before the crash.

The IIO is mandated to conduct investigations into police-related incidents of death or serious harm in order to determine whether or not an officer may have committed an offence.

Pictures from the scene sent to NanaimoNewsNOW showed severe damage to the front-ends of both vehicles, with the truck spun off into the shoulder and an SUV facing the wrong way.

Northbound lanes on the highway were closed until 11 a.m. Monday, with traffic being detoured along the Duke Point Hwy. into Cedar.

The IIO is asking any witnesses to the incident to contact the witness line at 1-855-446-8477.

dom@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @domabassi