FATALITY: Early-morning crash in Surrey claims life of Mountie

A police cruiser and a truck sit at the intersection of 64th Avenue and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on Nov. 13, 2012. Wayne Leidenfrost/ PNG

SURREY, B.C. — The Mountie killed in an early-morning crash in Surrey, B.C., was part of a family with a long tradition of serving with the RCMP.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said many people will be affected by the loss of Const. Adrian Oliver’s life at about 5 a.m. Tuesday.

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of Const. Oliver who lost his life today while on duty,” Toews said in a statement.

He said Oliver was from a family of RCMP members.

“This is a very sad day for all Canadians,” Toews said.

Oliver was killed after his unmarked police car collided with a semi-trailer in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey, B.C.

He was rushed to hospital but could not be saved.

Vancouver Police tweeted the department’s condolences as Mounties were to provide more details.

Witnesses said paramedics arrived on the scene and found the officer pinned and unconscious in the shattered, grey, unmarked cruiser.

Darryl Walker, the operations manager of recycling company Emterra Environmental, located near the intersection of the crash site, said it was clear from the tangled wreck of the police cruiser he saw that the officer would not have survived.

“The engine was sticking right out,” he said. “It was a mess.”

About a dozen Mounties were gathered at the scene when he arrived at work, Walker said.

“They were everywhere, in every direction.”

At least eight blocks were closed in one direction and four in another, snarling rush-hour traffic in the industrial area, Walker said.

“It’s put a damper on our whole operation,” he said, adding trucks that transport recycled material remain idle as staff try to deal with the tragedy so close to their workplace.

“Everyone is upset to hear a member of the RCMP has died in this way. They have a hard enough job as it is.”

Walker said that from what he saw, the driver of the semi-trailer is likely a bit bruised and shaken up but not injured because he sat so high up compared to the officer in the vehicle.

The big rig was not hauling a trailer at the time, but police have not offered any other details about the driver or the truck.

The cause of the accident also remains unclear.