BURST
A Prince George man has been charged in the hit-and-run crash that killed a cyclist this summer during a training ride for the Cops for Cancer charity.
Prince George RCMP confirmed that five charges were approved this week related to the July 7 crash that also injured another rider and a Mountie.
The pair were on a morning ride when they were hit by a pickup at Ospika Boulevard and McRae Avenue. The driver didn’t stop, but a suspect was arrested later that day.
“This incident hit the community of Prince George, as well as our local policing community, very hard as this not only involved a Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de North rider, but one of our own police officers,” said RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Cooper on Thursday.
“Our investigators have worked very hard to bring this investigation to the charge-approval stage.”
On Monday, Thomas Leslie Phillips was charged with impaired driving causing death, impaired driving causing bodily harm, failure to remain at the scene of an accident causing death, and failure to remain at the scene of a crash causing bodily harm. He’s also charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
Shane Kelly, a community supporter of several cancer charities, died in hospital three days after the crash.
“Shane was a caring and enthusiastic team-builder from the very beginning, offering camaraderie, encouragement and support to the entire Tour de North team,” said Laura Nelson, manager of Cops for Cancer, shortly after Kelly died on July 10.
“He was driven by a deep commitment to making a difference for children with cancer. Shane’s teammates are devastated by the loss of one of their own, in such tragic circumstances.”
Police announce drug bust in Surrey
Police in Surrey say they have broken up a major drug line and seized more than $1 million in property that they allege was proceeds of crime.
The Surrey RCMP began an investigation in February into an illicit drug operation supplying street-level quantities of fentanyl and cocaine.
After a six-month probe, police targeted what they call “a large-scale, sophisticated drug operation, allegedly supplying large volumes of illicit drugs throughout the province.”
A Sept. 10 search of a home in the Guildford neighbourhood uncovered drug processing and packaging equipment in a basement suite.
Four people were arrested and 56 kilograms of illegal drugs and cutting agents were seized, including 24 kilos of meth, nine kilos of suspected fentanyl, 7.5 kilos of suspected caffeine, 7.6 kilos of suspected buffing agent, three kilos of suspected crack cocaine, 2.6 kilos of suspected cocaine and two kilos of suspected benzodiazepine.
Also seized was over $1 million in assets connected to the operation, including two pickups, two SUVs, a car, a motorhome, two quads, two jet-skis and one off-road, side-by-side vehicle and $54,000 in cash.
“This drug seizure represents a significant disruption to the local drug trade in Surrey,” said Supt. Ryan Element. “Investigators believe the suspected drugs were being supplied to communities from the Lower Mainland right into the Okanagan.”
Chief Supt. Wendy Mehat called it the result of a “strong collaboration of multiple drug section and major crime officers assigned to supporting Surrey Police Service operations in the city.”
A report on charges is still being prepared for prosecutors, police said.