British Columbia’s police oversight agency has found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by a Surrey police officer involved in a fatal pedestrian collision in December 2025.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. concluded that the officer will not face charges after reviewing vehicle data, witness accounts and the circumstances surrounding the crash.
IIO Finds No Reasonable Grounds for Charges
In a report released Friday, IIO Chief Civilian Director Jessica Berglund described the woman’s death as tragic. However, she said the available evidence did not provide reasonable grounds to believe the officer had committed an offence.
The collision occurred shortly after 7 p.m. PT on December 14, 2025, near 152 Street and 64 Avenue in Surrey. Witnesses said conditions were dark and rainy at the time.
Officers Were Responding to Priority-One Call
Two Surrey police officers were travelling to a reported domestic violence incident when the crash happened.
The officer sitting in the passenger seat told investigators that the domestic disturbance had been classified as a “priority one” call. This classification is reserved for some of the most urgent and serious incidents requiring an immediate police response.
The officers were also identified as the primary unit responding to the call.
According to the report, the police vehicle had its emergency lights and siren activated. The driving officer entered a turning lane on 152 Street to pass traffic travelling ahead.
Police Vehicle Reached More Than 120 km/h
Information collected from the police vehicle showed that the officer accelerated after turning south onto 152 Street.
The vehicle reached a speed of 120.9 kilometres per hour on a section of road where the posted speed limit is 60 kilometres per hour.
The IIO examined whether the officer’s speed, combined with the poor weather and visibility, amounted to a criminal offence.
Pedestrian Crossed Road Wearing Dark Clothing
The passenger officer and civilian witnesses reported seeing a pedestrian dressed in dark clothing crossing 152 Street.
The accompanying officer said he did not notice the woman until she was already in the roadway. One civilian witness said the pedestrian appeared to be moving quickly and travelling directly across the street.
Witnesses estimated that the driving officer had no more than one second to react before the collision.
Police officers and paramedics immediately attempted life-saving treatment, but the woman died from her injuries.
Her relatives later informed investigators that she was deaf in her left ear and partially deaf in her right ear.
Officer Had to Balance Competing Risks
The IIO investigates police-involved incidents that result in serious injury or death.
In its report, the agency said the officer was required to balance the risks of driving above the speed limit against the possible danger facing people at the reported domestic violence incident.
Investigators acknowledged that travelling at more than twice the posted speed limit created risks, particularly during dark and rainy conditions.
However, the report concluded that the fatal collision might still have happened even if the police vehicle had been travelling at the 60 km/h speed limit.
The IIO said the woman entered the roadway in the middle of the block while wearing dark clothing and apparently did not see or hear approaching traffic. Under those circumstances, the report said she could also have been struck by a civilian vehicle.
Case Will Not Be Referred for Prosecution
Based on the available evidence, Berglund determined that there were no reasonable grounds to believe the officer had committed a criminal offence.
As a result, the case will not be forwarded to the B.C. Prosecution Service for consideration of charges.
The IIO described the pedestrian’s death as a tragic incident but found that the officer had extremely limited time to react.
Although the police vehicle was travelling well above the speed limit, investigators concluded that the collision could have occurred even at a lower speed. The officer has therefore been cleared of criminal wrongdoing.