Fatal parking lot crash involving modified truck leads to RCMP warning
RCMP are warning drivers with modified vehicles to check they're within legal limits, after a dangerous driving charge was laid against a Nanaimo, B.C. woman following a fatal parking lot crash.
On Tuesday, Nanaimo RCMP said they had charged a 24-year-old woman with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, after an 85-year-old woman was killed following a crash on March 21, 2024.
Police say the crash, in the Woodgrove Centre parking lot, came about after the senior parked her vehicle next to the woman's pickup truck and began walking toward the mall.
The suspect in the case then exited her parking spot and turned left with her pickup truck, and the senior was knocked to the ground and subsequently died.
Police say the modifications made to the truck, including a raised suspension, oversized tires and tinted windows contributed to the fatal crash.
They say the modifications made driving in the crowded parking lot unsafe, and weren't part of the original truck design.
"The charge of Dangerous Operation Causing Death is a serious one," Nanaimo RCMP wrote in a statement.
"It signifies that the person operating a vehicle, considering all the circumstances, poses a significant danger to the public."
Const. Sherri Wade with Nanaimo RCMP said the pickup truck was taken for inspection after the crash, and police determined the modifications weren't within legal limits.
"You can certainly make modifications, the Motor Vehicle Regulations make it so that you are allowed to have modifications," she told Jason D'Souza, host of CBC's All Points West. "They just give you pretty specific instructions."
Wade says that a vehicle's suspension height cannot be altered by more than 10 centimetres, and any tint on the windshield cannot be lower than 75 millimetres below the top.
The officer says that if police find that vehicle modifications aren't within legal limits, drivers could be ticketed or their vehicles towed, and the owner must then pay the towing fees and modify it as per regulations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
6 hours ago
- Global News
Speedboat operator involved in deadly North Vancouver collision released
The speedboat operator arrested following Saturday's deadly collision off Cates Park in North Vancouver was released from custody on conditions early Sunday evening, said RCMP. Global News is not naming the suspect, who turns 38 this year, as no charges have been laid. No one answered the door at his North Vancouver home Monday, where a dog was heard barking inside. Neighbours told a Global News crew to back off and shut the camera off. 'The kid's going through a real problem right now,' one man said. 1:58 Child killed in Cates Park boat incident Around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, RCMP said a speedboat struck two children on an inflatable tube being towed by another boat. Story continues below advertisement A 10-year-old boy from Vancouver was pronounced deceased at the scene, while the second child was airlifted to hospital in critical condition. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy It's unclear which vessel had the right of way prior to the tragedy. 'With the amount of sirens and stuff that we heard, we figured it was probably something that happened on the water,' said Charles Roberts, who lives five minutes away from Cates Park. RCMP are investigating whether alcohol and speed played a role. A witness who told Global News she has spoken to RCMP but who declined to appear on camera Monday due to her 'sensitive' profession, said she witnessed the speedboat being driven erratically and causing a wake in the waters off Cates Park approximately 10 minutes before the fatal collision. 'You shouldn't really be bombing around here because people are launching their boats and they're leaving the area fairly slowly,' said Roberts. Boater Kevin Blair, who was at the boat launch hitching his Bayliner with Roberts Monday, said most recreational boaters they encounter are pretty responsible, and Cates Park is generally a safe area. 0:34 No injuries after boat becomes vertical on Okanagan Lake 'If it happened here, somebody obviously made a mistake and it's just an unfortunate set of circumstances where some kids were injured and nobody wants to see that happen,' Blair told Global News in an interview. Story continues below advertisement East of Cates Park, speed boats going extremely fast is an issue in the long, narrow inlet of Indian Arm, said the District of North Vancouver's mayor. 'I think a lot of people see some open water there and do open boats up there,' Mike Little said Monday. 'I live nowhere near the waterfront, but I can hear the boats when they go full throttle in the area.' While Little acknowledged increased enforcement could help patrol speeding vessels, he said it's ultimately up to boaters to be responsible and follow the regulations. 'We really need people to take safety precautions and make sure that they're operating their vehicles in a safe manner,' said Little. The Scarab speedboat involved in Saturday's collision has been seized by RCMP and was towed from the scene on Sunday as part of the ongoing investigation. The suspect has a driving history dating back to 2007 – including four convictions under the Motor Vehicle Act for speeding, one for driving without due care and attention, and one for using an electronic device while driving. He was released from police custody on an undertaking to appear in court on Aug. 27.
CBC
7 hours ago
- CBC
Thompson woman missing since last week found safe: RCMP
A 31-year-old Thompson woman who was reported missing last week has been found, Manitoba RCMP said Monday. The woman had last been seen in the city, about 770 kilometres north of Winnipeg, on June 3 and was reported missing at 10 p.m. that day, RCMP had said in a news release Monday afternoon. Several hours later, RCMP issued an update saying the woman "has been safely located." Police thanked the public for their help in finding her.
Globe and Mail
7 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
A lost RCMP USB device with key information was offered for sale by criminals, privacy watchdog says
The RCMP lost a memory key containing personal information about victims, witnesses and informants, and later learned it was being offered for sale by criminals, the federal privacy watchdog says. A detailed report from the office of privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne reveals the RCMP told the watchdog about the breach in March 2022, prompting a lengthy investigation. The RCMP determined that the unencrypted USB storage device contained the personal information of 1,741 people, including witnesses, complainants, subjects of interest, informants, police officers and civilian employees. 'The RCMP's investigation also established that only some of the documents on the device were password protected and that the device itself was not encrypted nor password protected,' the privacy watchdog's report says. The Mounties learned from a confidential source three weeks after the loss that the data on the device was being offered for sale by members of the criminal community. 'Given the nature and sensitivity of the information that the RCMP handles on a daily basis, (our office) would have expected the RCMP to have strict security measures in place to safeguard its information holdings,' the privacy commissioner's report says. 'We also would have expected for those measures to be stringently monitored and that the RCMP would take prompt action where non-compliance, whether accidental or not, is discovered.' Dufresne's office found the RCMP violated the Privacy Act, given that the personal information of individuals was disclosed without their consent. The privacy watchdog also concluded that RCMP personnel failed to report the loss of the USB storage device to the force's authorities in a timely manner. However, once aware of the breach, the RCMP's notification to affected individuals and the steps taken to manage the risk of further harm to them were 'generally appropriate in the circumstance,' the report says. Finally, Dufresne's office found the RCMP failed to take appropriate measures to safeguard the personal information. The privacy watchdog recommended the RCMP adopt strict security measures for the use of USB storage devices. This included measures not only to ensure that approved USB devices are used, but also audits to confirm that devices are returned when no longer needed, as well as additional training, the report says. The commissioner reports that the Mounties agreed in principle to the recommendations but did not commit to implementing them within a specific timeline. RCMP spokeswoman Robin Percival said Monday the force initiated a review of its security and privacy policies, as well as its awareness program, to ensure employees were reminded and sensitized of their continual responsibilities to protect sensitive information. 'The program also addresses the immediate actions to be taken in case of a security breach,' Percival said in a written response. The RCMP remains committed to preventing the use of unauthorized devices of unencrypted USB storage devices and to implementing appropriate measures and solutions across the country, she added.
