RCMP officer won’t be charged after pedestrian struck, killed in Antigonish Country: SIRT

Nova Scotia’s police watchdog says an RCMP officer will not be charged after a pedestrian was struck and killed in Antigonish County in April.

The Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) issued its report Wednesday, outlining its investigation into the incident.

Antigonish County District RCMP responded to a report of a man who was possibly walking into traffic on Highway 104 near James River, N.S., around 10:30 p.m. on April 27.

An RCMP officer was patrolling the area when he hit the pedestrian.

The 22-year-old Antigonish, N.S., man, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the SIRT report, the officer could not tell if the pedestrian had already been struck and killed by another vehicle.

SIRT says it immediately began an investigation, which concluded on Sept. 7.

The investigation revealed that the pedestrian had, in fact, died before he was struck by the RCMP cruiser.

Investigators learned the driver of an 18-wheeler, which was heading westbound on Highway 104, had heard a “bang” and thought he had hit a deer in the middle of the road around 10:25 p.m. on April 27.

The truck driver told investigators he noted that the vehicles behind him did not swerve to avoid anything on the road.

After he learned of the pedestrian’s death the next morning, the man feared what he thought was a deer was actually the man. He reported the incident to the RCMP and his truck was seized.

DNA collected from the grill of the truck confirmed the truck driver had hit the pedestrian, not a deer. An autopsy also confirmed the man was dead before the RCMP officer hit him.

SIRT also noted that the victim had mental-health issues and investigators believe he was trying to die by suicide that night.

In addition, SIRT said the weather that night was overcast, with misty rain falling, and the collision happened on a dark, two-lane highway where there was construction.

As a result, SIRT says there are no grounds to lay charges against the RCMP officer.

It also says the truck driver was not at fault for hitting the pedestrian, so he will not face charges.

SIRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia, whether or not there is an allegation of wrongdoing.