Valemount - RCMP continue investigation into the Sunday evening September 12th, 2010 single vehicle fatal collision on Hwy 5 north of Valemount, BC.

 

The Valemount RCMP are seeking the BC and Alberta media and public assistance in identifying  possible witnesses to a single vehicle crash which occurred at around 8 pm Sunday evening, on September 12, 2010 on Hwy 5, near Blackman Rd approximately 5 km north of Valemount, BC. 

 

Police believe that the vehicle involved, a mid-size sedan, 1997 green Toyota Camry passed a single pick up truck that was also traveling north, just prior to the crash and police would like to speak to the driver of the newer model pick up truck. 

   

Backgrounder:

Prior to the off road crash, a Valemount Detachment RCMP officer operating a marked police vehicle was traveling southbound on Hwy 5, when the officer observed a vehicle northbound traveling at a high rate of speed.  The officer confirmed his visual observation via radar, confirming that the northbound vehicle was traveling at 145-146 KPH in a posted 100 KPH zone.  The officer engaged his emergency equipment to safely complete a U-turn in order to attempt to stop the alleged violator for an excessive speed violation. 

      

As the officer completed his U-turn, he observed the vehicle continuing at a high rate of speed and witnessed it pass another northbound vehicle.  This vehicle, the newer model pick up truck was passed by the offending vehicle, then pulled off to the side of the road to permit the marked police vehicle by. 

 

The officer lost visual contact with the speeding vehicle and within 5.2 km of the initial sighting came upon a fresh dust cloud and smelt a pungent odour of burnt rubber. 

 

The officer turned off the road with lights towards the ditch and found the Toyota Camry off the road in the ditch with the lone occupant driver inside. 

 

The BC Ambulance Services were immediately dispatched once the officer checked the single crashed 1997 Toyota Camry and found the lone occupant driver pinned in the vehicle. 

 

The driver, a 28 yr old Edmonton area male was pronounced deceased at the scene.  

 

The North District Traffic Services collision analyst attended the scene at the time of the crash, in efforts to examine the physical evidence found and determine the causal factors of the crash. 

 

At this time investigators have confirmed that the vehicle encountered a tire failure prior to the crash which in part, combined with speed may have contributed to the vehicle losing control.

 

 

"We can state that 2 minutes and 30 seconds elapsed from the time our officer first saw the northbound speeding vehicle, up to his coming upon the crash site and had traveled a distance of 5.2 km.  Although the officer did loose visual contact with the sighted offending vehicle, which was traveling at an excessive rate of speed, we can state with a high degree of certainty that the crashed vehicle is the vehicle that was initially seen.

 

We do need to speak to the occupant(s) of that pick up truck, as they will be able to shed some light as to what they observed" stated Cpl Dan Moskaluk.

 

The Valemount RCMP and RCMP Victim Assistance Services are assisting the family of the deceased at this time in order to complete next of kin notification. 

 

RCMP investigators and the BC Coroners Services are continuing their investigation.

 

Anyone with information regarding this collision  are requested to contact the Valemount RCMP

at 250- 566-4466 or their local police services here in British Columbia and Alberta.