A police officer won’t face charges after fatally hitting a pedestrian along a Nova Scotia highway earlier this year. Two RCMP officers in separate vehicles responded to a call about a group of four adults whose vehicle ran out of gas the night of March 28. One of the officers found the vehicle along with three people on the side of Highway 103 in Upper Tantallon. The other officer found a man a short distance away as he was walking toward a nearby gas station. The officer then picked the man up and took him to get gas. The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) says the officer was then dispatched to an urgent call and had to leave the man at the gas station. The man later left the gas station on foot. He was reportedly seen on Highway 103 near Exit 5 by civilians who were driving on the highway. “Around the same time, an off-duty member of the Bridgewater Police Service was traveling in her personal vehicle. As she entered the highway from the on ramp at Exit 5, the male quickly stepped into the roadway and was struck by her vehicle,” reads a news release from SiRT. The incident was captured on a civilian’s vehicle dash cam. RCMP and paramedics responded and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. SiRT was contacted by the RCMP after it was determined the person driving the car was an off-duty officer. Director Erin E. Nauss says she has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe the off-duty officer committed a criminal offence. SiRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia. “This was a tragic incident that greatly affected an off-duty member of our police service,” said Danny MacPhee, deputy chief of the Bridgewater Police Service, in a separte news release. “Our officers experience tragedy like everyone else. We have supported them throughout this process. The independent review and subsequent findings will provide a level of closure. “We recognize the public’s need for absolute trust and accountability, which is why an independent, external investigation by SIRT was immediately triggered to ensure a thorough and unbiased review of the facts.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
