Police say the B.C. Mountie involved in a head-on collision that sent two men to hospital this week was responding to a domestic dispute at the time of the crash.
The junior Chilliwack RCMP member was on his way to back up an Agassiz officer when he crashed into a Ford Mustang Tuesday night.
The two men in the Mustang are still in hospital; driver Steve Genberg, 20, is in critical condition.
The Abbotsford Police Department was called in to investigate the crash, and Const. Ian MacDonald told CTV News that officers haven't determined yet whether the Mountie had turned on his siren and emergency lights before colliding with the Mustang.
"This is a major collision and it is going to have ramifications for a lot of people's lives," MacDonald said.
"We need to paint the picture, and the picture has to be accurate, it has to be right."
Several of Genberg's friends were driving behind his car in other vehicles and witnessed the crash, but police say not all have spoken to investigators.
"We need those people to come forward so we can get those statements," MacDonald said.
The RCMP vehicle was equipped with a camera, but whether it was in operation is still not clear.
Genberg's family and friends are struggling to come to terms with the seriousness of the crash. The young man drove a tow truck for Mission Auto Body, and his boss Wally Duperone Jr. said the news of the collision has devastated everyone at the shop.
"He was like a son to me," Duperone said. "It's really tough."
Genberg had just found out that his girlfriend is pregnant, and was looking forward to life as a first-time father.
"He was so excited. I gave him a hard time about it, but he was so excited and could hardly wait and really proud that he was going to be a dad," Duperone said.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Lisa Rossington
