The crash is now the focus of an Independent Investigations Office of B.C. probe.
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September 01, 2020 - 2:40 PM
The motorcyclist who was critically injured in a high-impact crash after racing through the Okanagan without a helmet has succumbed to his injuries.
A press release from B.C.'s police watchdog says the man died in hospital yesterday, Aug. 31, and the B.C. Coroners Service is now conducting an independent investigation to determine how, where, when and by what means he came to his death
"As stated in our initial release, the information provided by the RCMP indicates that on Aug. 30, at approximately 11 a.m., the RCMP received several reports of a motorcyclist without a helmet travelling north on Highway 97 in the Vernon area. The motorcyclist was then observed in Enderby by an officer who attempted an unsuccessful traffic stop," the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. said in the release, Sept. 1.
"Shortly after the attempted traffic stop, the motorcycle was involved in a collision with another vehicle on Highway 97 at Springbend Road. The rider was transported to hospital with serious injuries, and on Aug. 31, 2020, the (independent investigation office) was notified that the man had died in hospital."
The passengers of the other vehicle were not injured.
The Vernon North Okanagan RCMP continue to investigate the driving infractions, while the independent investigations office is now investigating to determine whether police actions or inactions are linked to the man’s injuries. As the matter is now under investigation by the independent investigations office, no information will be released by police.
The fatal ride through the Okanagan was well documented by many motorists who took to social media that day. Some also contacted iNFOnews with their accounts of the event, noting that it was unnerving.
"It was disturbing. Down the road, as we were driving through Enderby, he came up from a side road and got back on the highway," one witness wrote. "He passed us on the right and we were in the right lane so I couldn’t believe we were seeing him again. He then started weaving through traffic and going very fast. He obviously knew what he was doing. He controlled the bike like an expert. A dangerous and reckless expert, but this wasn’t a first time for him, we could see that."
They later saw him on the side of the road, and assumed he'd died.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police. It investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.
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