Courtenay Eggen
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October 23, 2014 - 11:16 AM
SALMON ARM - A police officer accused of dangerous driving in connection with the death of a Cherryville woman is now on trial in Salmon Arm Provincial Court.
Const. Micah Chan, born in 1977, faces one count of dangerous driving in relation to the June 2013 accident that killed 21-year-old Courtenay Brianne Eggen.
The Independent Investigations Office looked into the incident and said a police pursuit ensued after Eggen drove through a stop sign. The police officer following her, later identified as Chan, was ordered to stand down, but it appears he may have ignored that directive. A couple minutes after being told to terminate the pursuit, Chan reported being off road, close to where Eggen’s car was found crashed into a parked dump truck. A damaged police cruiser was found on the opposite side of the road.
In December 2013, the Criminal Justice Branch approved the dangerous driving charge against Chan. Crown spokesperson Neil MacKenzie said the Criminal Justice Branch decided against charging him with the more serious offense of dangerous driving causing death because prosecutors would be unable to prove his conduct contributed to Eggen’s death.
According to Global Okanagan, court heard the police cruiser reached a top speed of over 150 km/h.
The trial continues at the Salmon Arm Courthouse.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014