B.C. police watchdog investigating death of man driving suspected stolen vehicle

British Columbia’s police watchdog is investigating the death of a man who crashed while he was allegedly driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen.

Mounties say an officer with Nakusp RCMP in B.C.’s southern Interior tried to stop the vehicle after spotting it on Highway 6 just after 3 p.m. on Monday.

Police say the vehicle accelerated instead of stopping, driving off the road and into a ditch, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

A passenger in the vehicle survived the crash.

A statement from the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. says the female passenger was arrested before being taken to hospital and later released.

The vehicle involved was a green 2003 Ford F350 pickup truck that had been reported stolen, and the office is asking anyone with information to come forward.

Nakusp is located about 240 kilometres east of Kelowna, B.C.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.