RCMP recommend criminal charge in fatal 2021 crane collapse in Kelowna, B.C.
Mounties are recommending a charge of criminal negligence causing death after a 2021 crane collapse killed five people in downtown Kelowna, B.C.
In an update on the case Tuesday, the Kelowna RCMP said the detachment's serious crimes unit had completed its investigation into the collapse and submitted a report for charge assessment to the B.C. Prosecution Service.
"This is an extremely complex investigation that needed to be done methodically and thoroughly in order to protect the integrity of the investigation," the detachment said in a news release. "The Kelowna RCMP will be working closely with the BCPS to ensure they are best equipped on the facts of the case to make an informed decision on charges."
The local RCMP did not say who the charge was being recommended against.
Four of those killed on the morning of July 12, 2021, were workers at a construction site on St. Paul Street, while the other fatality was someone working in a nearby building.
Construction workers Cailen Vilness, Jared Zook and brothers Patrick and Eric Stemmer died at the scene, and Brad Zawislak was killed while working in a nearby office when part of the crane crashed into his building.
'Unusual and inappropriate'
Stemmer Construction, the company owned by Patrick and Eric's parents, and whose workers were dismantling the crane at the time of the collapse, criticized the RCMP's announcement of a charge recommendation through the media Tuesday.
"The decision of the RCMP to publicize the result of their investigation while remaining unwilling to name the parties who they say are criminally responsible or the basis upon which they have reached the decision is, in our opinion, both highly unusual and inappropriate," Kevin Westell and Graeme Hooper, lawyers for the company, wrote in a statement to CTV News.
"We have had extensive contact, on behalf of our client, with WorkSafeBC, the RCMP and the B.C. Prosecution Service since the date of the incident and for that reason had hoped to receive some informal notice."
The fatal collapse has spawned a number of lawsuits involving Stemmer Construction and multiple divisions of the Liebherr Corporation that manufactured the heavy equipment.
"We can only speculate as to why the RCMP have proceeded this way," the lawyers added. "Obviously, any attempt to place public pressure on the BCPS to approve charges would be inappropriate. In any event, we trust that the BCPS will conduct their charge assessment process appropriately and in accordance with the law and the Crown counsel policy manual."
In one lawsuit filed in July 2023, Stemmer is alleging Liebherr's crane and related manuals may have "contained a dangerous defect, which led to the accident."
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
'Stark reminder' of dangers
The union representing 13,000 British Columbia workers, including commercial crane operators, says the charge recommendation gives workers "some confidence" that steps are being taken to answer the questions of what happened in the incident.
Josh Towsley with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115, says the crane collapse was a "stark reminder" of the dangers faced by workers during crane disassembly and other duties of the occupation in general.
"My initial thoughts, of course, turn to the families of the of the five people that died," Towsley said.
"But our industry in general are one step closer to getting the answers that you know that everybody deserves, on what happened that day and what caused the deaths of five people."
The crane's fall knocked out power to most of Kelowna’s downtown core and forced an evacuation of the area as the city declared a state of local emergency.
The evacuation order for nearby residents was lifted a week after the collapse.
"This investigation included dozens of police officers and countless hours of evidence gathering and analysis," Supt. Kara Triance said in the release. "The gravity of this incident and the associated work to understand what happened has been tremendous."
The detachment said it would not provide additional details on the investigation or its findings Tuesday.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.