Today’s court appearance was canceled for the 33-year-old driver of the Columbia Fuels tanker that crashed and overturned near Goldstream park in April.
Originally scheduled for a first appearance in Western Communities Courthouse today on a charge of assaulting a police officer, the Nanaimo man has yet to be charged with any offense related to the large fuel spill into Goldstream River on April 16.
The man allegedly assaulted a West Shore RCMP officer during his arrest at Victoria General Hospital that evening on suspicion of impaired driving.
RCMP South Island Traffic Services expects to forward its evidence to Crown counsel by the end of the month to support a charge of impaired driving.
RCMP Cpl. Kathy Rochlitz today confirmed the West Shore detachment has forwarded evidence related to assaulting a police officer to the Crown, but that office is waiting to review reports from all agencies involved in the investigation before proceeding with charges.
The tanker crash dumped 42,000 litres of gasoline and 600 litres of diesel in the ground and river system, and closed the Malahat for 22 hours. Columbia Fuels no longer employs the Nanaimo man.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com