Victoria police cleared of wrongdoing in crash that killed 24-year-old taxi driver

A Victoria police van in an undated photo from the Victoria Police Department Twitter account. (VicPD/Twitter)

British Columbia's police oversight agency has cleared Victoria police officers of wrongdoing after an attempted traffic stop on a city street led to the death of an innocent man last year.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. has concluded its investigation into the collision that claimed the life of the 24-year-old taxi driver on Oct. 19, 2024.

The incident began around 1 a.m., when Victoria police officers attempted to stop a blue Nissan Titan pickup truck that was reportedly driving erratically near the downtown intersection of Douglas and Courtney streets.

The truck continued through the intersection, striking a BC Transit bus and a taxicab on the next block.

The taxi driver, later identified in an online fundraiser as Rajinder "Ronnie" Singh, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the police watchdog.

The driver of the pickup was arrested and taken into police custody, while the IIO was notified of the incident and began an investigation into the actions of the police.

The transit bus was not in service at the time of the crash and had no passengers on board.

The chief civilian director of the IIO reviewed forensic evidence, surveillance video and statements from civilian witnesses before determining the officers involved acted lawfully in their attempt to stop the pickup truck, the agency said in a statement Friday.

"The Titan drove away quickly, and the officers did not engage in a high-speed pursuit," the statement said. "Their actions are not responsible for the taxi driver's tragic death."

The independent 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.

The Victoria Police Department issued a statement on social media in the hours after the crash, saying officers "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," the police statement concluded.