Langley RCMP said their initial description of a fatal crash involving a pedestrian in 2015 was “inaccurate.”
A statement posted online said Langley RCMP responded to a pedestrian being struck by a pickup truck on 240 Street at 9:20 p.m. on Jan. 15, 2015.
The initial news release said the pedestrian had been walking in the middle of the street wearing dark clothes.
“Unfortunately, those facts were not accurate,” the statement said.
“The investigation that followed, which included multiple expert reports, confirmed that the victim, Mark Janson, was not walking in the middle of the road but rather was where a pedestrian would be expected to be, on the side of the road, while walking his dog which had an LED flashing collar on. This tragedy received additional media attention due to the fact Mark Janson was a highly respected firefighter out of Delta, B.C.”
“The Langley RCMP wishes to apologize to the Janson family, Dunn Family, friends and Mark’s fellow firefighters in Delta for the additional grief this release caused.”
Supt. Murray Power, the Officer in Charge of the detachment, met with Lynda Janson “who graciously allowed for this matter to be rectified in media circles,” the statement said.
“It is hoped this important clarification will assist this family as they continue to recover from this tragedy.”
The statement said police have determined how the misinformation surfaced and where the communication errors occurred, and have taken steps to prevent it from happening again.
“These important matters being raised and addressed are critical in our ongoing efforts to have public trust in what we do,” said Power. “We only improve or service by being given a chance to recognize and correct our errors.”