Charges have been laid in connection with a multiple-vehicle accident on Highway 99 that injured several people in September, police have confirmed.
In a release, Whistler RCMP said four counts of dangerous operation of a vehicle have been laid against 29-year-old Gibsons man Christopher Irwin, who was driving his black Land Rover south of Whistler, near Daisy Lake, on Sept. 5 when he collided with another vehicle, a silver Lamborghini, sending it into oncoming traffic. The Lamborghini then struck a southbound Toyota Corolla, which resulted in serious injuries for six people, including two children.
As part of its investigation, police “interviewed witnesses and victims, conducted vehicle examinations, and reviewed dash cam and cellphone videos, which provided details of the events leading up to and directly contributing to the collision,” the release said. “Based on the totality of the evidence reviewed, the RCMP submitted a report to Crown [counsel] recommending criminal charges against the driver of the Land Rover.”
Police also investigated the driver of the Lamborghini for dangerous driving, but laid no charges. Initially, fingers pointed at the Lamborghini driver as they were taking part in the annual Hublot Diamond Rally, a charity supercar rally up the Sea to Sky Highway.
At the time of the accident, rally organizer Craig Stowe told Pique the negative public backlash “has come from those that have reacted to social media and mainstream media that inaccurately reported that the Lamborghini, driving with the flow of traffic and a registered car in the Diamond Rally Charity Challenge, caused the accident.”
Whistler RCMP Staff Sgt. Paul Hayes confirmed the Gibsons driver of the Land Rover was not involved in the Diamond Rally.
“At this time I and the Whistler RCMP would like to thank the many witnesses who provided valuable information to the police during this investigation,” Hayes added in the release. “Whistler RCMP are committed to ensuring our highways are safe for the public. We take a zero-tolerance approached to dangerous driving behaviour and we will remain steadfast in our resolve to bring those that choose to drive in such a manner to account for their driving choices.”
