Police watchdog investigating after suspect injured in North Okanagan crash

The B.C. police watchdog is investigating after two men were taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries following a single-vehicle collision on Highway 97A near Armstrong.

According to a Vernon North Okanagan RCMP media release Dec. 1, an RCMP vehicle was overtaken by a car vehicle travelling at high speed on Highway 97A just before 9:30 p.m. The grey vehicle also passed a truck driving in front of the police vehicle at the same time.

Police say the RCMP vehicle then activated its emergency equipment and watched the grey vehicle driving dangerously before losing sight of it.

The RCMP vehicle then turned its sirens off and continued driving southbound on the highway.

The B.C. Independent Investigations Office says the RCMP unsuccessfully attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle.

Roughly 15 minutes later, a vehicle matching the description of the grey vehicle crashed on Highway 97A just before Armstrong.

The two men in the vehicle with transported to hospital with what is believed to be serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The Independent Investigations Office is now conducting an investigation to determine what role, if any, police action or inaction may have played in the injuries.

The IIO is asking any person with relevant information of the incident to please contact the Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.

The B.C. Independent Investigations Office is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in B.C. 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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