B.C. police watchdog investigating after driver killed in Victoria

Investigators from B.C.'s Independent Investigations Office are seen in this file photo from the IIO.

British Columbia's police oversight agency is investigating a collision in downtown Victoria early Saturday morning that left one person dead and another in police custody.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. says the incident happened around 1 a.m., when officers with the Victoria Police Department attempted to stop a Nissan Titan pickup truck that police say was driving erratically in the 900 block of Douglas Street, near Courtney Street.

The truck failed to stop, striking a car and a BC Transit bus at the next intersection, less than 100 metres away.

According to the police watchdog, the driver of the car died at the scene "despite life-saving measures," while the pickup driver was arrested and taken into police custody.

The transit bus was not in service at the time of the crash and had no passengers on board, said the agency, which began its investigation into police conduct later Saturday.

The police watchdog probes all police-related incidents that result in serious harm or death in B.C., whether or not there are any allegations of wrongdoing on the part of officers.

"Initial investigative steps will seek to clarify the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the collision and whether police action or inaction played a role," the police oversight agency said.

Photos of the crash posted to social media indicate the car involved in the fatal collision was a taxicab belonging to the Victoria Taxi company, which sustained significant front-end damage where it had been struck by the dark-blue Nissan pickup.

The Victoria Police Department issued a statement on social media late Saturday afternoon saying: "Early this morning, we responded to a developing situation which ended up being fatal for one victim. Our thoughts are with the victim's family and our thanks goes to our officers, who did their best to save a life."

Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has images related to the crash is asked to contact the IIO at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.