Police witness fatal accident

Police witnessed fatal accident
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby NOW assistant editor
Published March 29, 2003

Burnaby RCMP are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident that was witnessed by two New Westminster police officers during the Friday morning rush hour.
The officers were apparently travelling on 10th Avenue when they spotted a man standing alone near the intersection with Second Avenue, watching traffic and jerking back and forth.
As a westbound semi-trailer approached, the man apparently leaped off the sidewalk and into the path of the truck.
"The members were right there, and they tried to administer first aid, but it was no use," said New Westminster police spokesperson Const. Casey Dehaas.
Burnaby RCMP spokesperson Const. Phil Reid said visibility was good at the time of the incident and there appears to be no fault on the part of the truck driver.
The officers have been offered critical incident counselling to help them cope with the trauma. It is the second time in a week that the two officers have been involved in a serious incident. Last Sunday, they were among a contingent of officers called to the scene when a Burnaby man was involved in a shooting incident with New Westminster police.
This morning, rush hour traffic in the area had to be rerouted for several hours, tying up streets throughout New Westminster and southeast Burnaby. The route is a main thoroughfare for vehicles travelling over the Pattullo Bridge.