Charges will not be laid against an Abbotsford Police officer involved in a collision that resulted in the death of 14-year-old Marcus Larabie on Dec. 26, 2014.
The Criminal Justice Branch (CJB) announced Wednesday that there is not enough evidence to prove that the officer committed any careless-driving offences that would have resulted in Larabie’s death.
Larabie was struck by a 2009 Mazda 3 – driven by the off-duty officer – in the area of Bourquin Crescent West and Mill Lake Road at about 6:15 p.m. He was airlifted to hospital in critical condition, and died just before midnight.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO), which looks into officer-related incidents of death or serious harm, concluded their investigation in September and submitted a report to the CJB for consideration of charges.
The CJB report indicates that the officer was proceeding through a green light south on Bourquin Crescent, when Larabie, who was riding a longboard and talking on a cellphone, entered the crosswalk westbound on Mill Lake Road on a red light.
The report states that the officer was travelling at about 65 km/h in the 50 km/h zone, but that was consistent with the flow of traffic at the time.
The Crown concluded “it would not be possible to prove that the officer’s driving was a departure from the standard of a reasonably prudent driver in the circumstances.”
The CJB report indicated that Larabie was wearing dark clothing with no reflective material or a helmet at the time of the collision.
“The occupants in the vehicle following the officer described the skateboarder as moving very fast and ‘very hard to see,’ ” the report stated.
Evidence collected in the case include surveillance video, witness statements, and Larabie’s cellphone records.
(File photo below by Shane MacKichan: Investigators were on the scene of the collision on Dec. 26, 2014 that resulted in the death of Marcus Larabie.)
