RCMP recommend criminal charges from crane collapse

More than two years after a crane collapsed in Kelowna’s downtown area, RCMP have completed their investigation into the incident.

Five people died as a result of the collapse which occurred on July 12, 2021.

The RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit conducted the investigation, and it has submitted its findings to the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) for charge assessment for criminal negligence causing death.

“This is an extremely complex investigation that needed to be done methodically and thoroughly in order to protect the integrity of the investigation,” a RCMP news release stated. “The Kelowna RCMP will be working closely with the BCPS to ensure they are best equipped on the facts of the case to make an informed decision on charges.”

The RCMP said it is unable to provide additional details with respect to the investigation or findings.It’s not known who police are recommending the criminal charges be laid against, or how many.

Kelowna RCMP Supt. Kara Triance said the probe 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.”

WorkSafeBC, the RCMP and the BC Coroners Service all launched investigations after the catastrophic failure that occurred while workers dismantled a tower crane at a construction site on St. Paul Street.

The collapse killed four workers at the construction site and a worker unrelated to the site. One other worker was injured.

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 the building.