Abbotsford police deemed not at fault for fatal high-speed crash
Published 11:50 am Friday, September 18, 2026
A high-speed crash that led to the death of one person on March 17 has officially been deemed not the fault of the Abbotsford Police Department (APD).
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) released a report on Sept. 18 that detailed the fatal crash and everything that led up to it.
In the report, it said an APD officer in an unmarked police vehicle first noticed a black Dodge Ram pickup truck driving down Maclure Road at a high rate of speed at 11:36 p.m.
The officer turned on his emergency lights in an attempt to get the truck to stop, but it reportedly increased its speed instead.
After a brief period in which the officer attempted to catch up with the vehicle, he then turned off his emergency lights.
The pickup truck continued east on Maclure Road, but after passing Old Yale Road, the wet conditions caused the truck to leave the road and crash into a tree.
The officer arrived on scene 12 seconds later and reported that the vehicle had crashed, with the driver dying at the scene.
During the brief chase, which covered a distance of approximately one kilometre, the officer’s vehicle reached a top speed of 143 km/hr.
Another officer who witnessed the truck speeding past him only moments before the crash said his fellow officer’s actions didn’t strike him as unusual or troubling.
“It was my perception, at the time, was nothing (the officer) did altered this guy’s behaviour, whether good or bad,” said the unnamed witness officer in the IIO report.
“Like he tried to slow him down by using his lights, it sounds like, but the guy was already driving excessive, and so none of the actions of the officer impacted this guy’s actions or behaviour.”
In the aftermath of the crash, it was revealed that the pickup truck had been stolen earlier that day, with the driver dressed in black coveralls, a black balaclava, and black gloves.
IIO chief civilian director Jessica Berglund said that after a thorough investigation, there were several major factors that led the watchdog organization to deem the Abbotsford officer’s actions not responsible for the driver’s death.
“His attempt to close the distance to the (driver’s) vehicle lasted no more than 30 seconds, along a straight, wide stretch of road with little traffic,” wrote Berglund.
“The evidence is that the (officer) then turned off his emergency equipment and was slowing before the accident occurred. That indicates that he had already made the decision not to pursue.”
Berglund closed out the report by stating that she doesn’t believe the officer committed any offence that led to this fatal crash and would not be recommending charges.