Police cleared of wrongdoing in deadly crash that killed Kelowna woman 

Police cleared of blame

Photo: GoFundMe

Louisa Saebels (bottom right) died as a result of the collision.

B.C.’s police watchdog has cleared RCMP of any wrongdoing in a deadly crash last month in Kelowna.

A BMW that the Uniform Gang Enforcement Team had been following crashed into two other vehicles at the corner of Highway 97 and Highway 33 on Feb. 27, 2025.

Longtime Kelowna resident Louisa Saebels, 90, who was a passenger in a Mitsubishi SUV died in the crash. Her daughter and great-granddaughter were injured in the collision and a GoFundMe was set up to help the family.

The Independent Investigations Office of BC was called in to investigate. It released the findings of its investigation on Tuesday.

The IIO says the Uniformed Gang Enforcement Team observed an uninsured black BMW being driven north on Highway 97 at about 6 p.m. on Feb. 27. When the BMW turned right off Highway 97, the officers also turned.

“The BMW began driving faster and merged back onto Highway 97, at which point the officers lost sight of it,” said the IIO report. “The officers continued on Highway 97 with the flow of traffic in the same direction as the BMW was last seen.”

A short time later, the BMW collided with the Mitsubishi SUV and a Mazda sedan at the Highway 97 and Highway 33 intersection.

According to the IIO, witnesses said the RCMP vehicle was not behind the BMW at the time of the crash and that was backed up by video from a vehicle near the intersection.

“There is no evidence that police attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the BMW prior to the collision,” said the IIO report.

“The officers had lawful grounds to follow the BMW for the brief time they did and are not responsible for the BMW’s driving behaviour,” continued the report.

The IIO investigation is now concluded.

Photo: Cindy White