Man 'disregarded' police tape, drove into fatal crash scene in Coquitlam, B.C., RCMP say

A driver is facing potential criminal charges after he allegedly "disregarded" barricades and police tape while barging into the scene of a fatal crash in Coquitlam, B.C., last week.

Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Alexa Hodgins said it's "extremely fortunate" no one was injured when the driver of a red Dodge Dart entered the collision scene, where police, firefighters, paramedics and city crews were all working in tandem.

"The driver was arrested on scene," Hodgins said Wednesday. "The investigation is still ongoing, but the possibility is that they will be facing criminal charges, as well as any related Motor Vehicle Act offences."

The Oct. 19 crash – which involved a grey SUV and white Toyota sedan – left three people injured, including a passenger who has since died in hospital.

Emergency crews blocked off a stretch of David Avenue surrounding Coast Meridian Road to care for the victims and gather evidence, only for a Coquitlam resident to bypass a road block and drive directly "through crime scene tape," Hodgins said, for reasons that are as yet unclear.

"The motivation for the driver to disregard the crime scene tape and barricades is one of the investigational avenues that officers are continuing to explore," Hodgins added.

Authorities said they are considering a Criminal Code charge of obstruction for the driver, whose Dodge Dart was also impounded at the scene.

"We want to remind the public to be mindful and respect road closures," Hodgins said.

"For any collision scene, an intersection or stretch of road would be temporarily closed to the public as police gather evidence, (and so first responders can) potentially provide life-saving measures or first aid to the people involved."

None of the evidence was compromised as a result of the incident.

Authorities are continuing to investigate both the initial crash and the subsequent intrusion onto the scene, and asked any potential witnesses – or anyone with dash-cam video taken before, during or after the collision – to contact the Coquitlam RCMP detachment at 604-945-1550.