IIO clears Surrey police in pedestrian collision
Published 4:30 pm Monday, July 27, 2026
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. has found that a Surrey Police officer did not commit any offence under law in a Dec. 14 crash in which a woman pedestrian was struck and killed.
In the incident, which took place shortly after 7 p.m. near 152 Street and 64 Avenue, the woman ran into the path of a police cruiser speeding south on 152 Street with lights and siren in operation.
The cruiser had been dispatched to a call reporting apparent domestic violence at an address close to 152 Street and 64 Avenue and, according to data obtained by investigators, was travelling at approximately 120 km/h.
Although the police driver and another police officer in the car stopped and administered CPR, the woman succumbed to what the autopsy described as “multiple blunt force injuries.”
Testimony from civilian witnesses showed, however, that it was a dark, rainy night; that roads were wet; and that the woman, described as being “short in stature,” was wearing dark clothing and had her hood up.
A civilian witness testified that he did not recall the woman looking in the direction of approaching traffic and that she was heading straight across 152 Street from west to east.
In later interviews with relatives of the woman, IIO investigators discovered that she was deaf in her left ear and partially deaf in the right ear.
In her report, Jessica Berglund, IIO chief civilian director, said: “Ultimately, the evidence shows that even if the police vehicle had been travelling at the speed limit, this tragic accident could still have occurred … she might have been struck by a civilian vehicle as easily as (the police vehicle).
“Her tragic death was not caused by any criminal breach … of the standard of care expected of an officer responding ‘Code 3’ to a serious call,” Berglund concluded.
“I do not consider that there are reasonable grounds to believe that an officer may have committed an offence under any enactment.”
The Independent Investigations Office investigates any incidents in which an affected person has died or suffered serious physical harm which appears connected to actions (or inactions) of police.