Mounties say they have asked prosecutors to consider charges in the collapse of a construction crane that killed five people in Kelowna, B.C., in July 2021.
Police say a report has been submitted to the BC Prosecution Service for charge assessment of criminal negligence causing death.
The crane was being dismantled when it fell, killing four men on the site and a fifth man in a neighbouring 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.
Mounties say the investigation was extremely complex and needed to be done methodically and thoroughly to protect the integrity of the case.
Kelowna RCMP Supt. Kara Triance says the investigation included dozens of police officers and countless hours of evidence-gathering and analysis.
“The gravity of this incident and the associated work to understand what happened has been tremendous. We will work to support our partners and our community through the next steps.”
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.
An evacuation order for nearby residents was lifted a week after the collapse.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2024.
The Canadian Press
