Thursday, February 03, 2011

RCMP officer throws teen to safety seconds before sandtruck hits

Damian Inwood, The Province February 3, 2011 1:02 PM

An RCMP constable is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of a 15-year-old girl Thursday.  “This was obviously a split-second decision where the constable realized what was happening, and his first thought was to do whatever was necessary to protect this girl,” says Sgt. Peter Thiessen, spokesman for the RCMP Lower Mainland District Regional Police Service. “He clearly put her safety ahead of his own.”  The Mountie was responding to a multi-vehicle accident on Highway 1, near Yale at about 1:30 a.m., he said.  Freezing rain had caused severe icing and the constable was checking on a vehicle in the ditch when a sandtruck lost control.  “The constable saw the truck coming at them, and with no time to move, picked up the girl and threw her to safety,” said Theissen. “The truck then struck the constable and pinned him between the two vehicles.”  The Mountie is in hospital undergoing surgery for a broken leg and the girl, who was unharmed, continued with her family on their way to northern B.C., added Theissen. The names of the Mountie and the girl have not been released.

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