In St. John’s, a man allegedly responsible for the death of a six-year-old boy in a suspected impaired driving incident was involved in a previous crash two days before the fatal accident, according to information uncovered by CBC News. Despite the man having an outstanding arrest warrant, police did not run a check on his details at the scene of the earlier collision.
The collision occurred on July 21 at the intersection of Stamp’s Lane and Terra Nova Road, involving a work truck driven by the accused, Tyler Day, and another vehicle. Although the other vehicle sustained significant damage, there were no reported serious injuries. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) explained that they did not conduct a check on Day’s background as the crash was deemed “non-criminal.”
It was only after the tragic incident on July 23, where Day allegedly struck and killed Zafeer Munir at the intersection of Thorburn Road and Larkhall Street, that the police became aware of the outstanding warrant. Following the second collision, Day attempted to flee the scene but was pursued by an eyewitness and subsequently apprehended on Cumberland Crescent. Initially charged with impaired driving causing bodily harm, the charges were later upgraded to include impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death, criminal negligence causing death, and failing to remain at the scene of an accident causing death.
A former police officer and criminologist, Michael Arntfield, speculated that even if the warrant had been acted upon earlier, Day might have still been released before the fatal incident. Arntfield expressed surprise that the police did not verify Day’s information at the first crash scene, emphasizing the importance of checking individuals’ backgrounds through systems like the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) at the beginning of interactions to ensure officer safety and prevent potential criminal activity.
Despite the warrant being for a relatively minor offense, Arntfield noted that Day had been wanted by the police for over a year. Day, who is currently in custody, is scheduled for a court appearance on September 8 for a status update, with plans to work on a release strategy and seek bail.
The tragic sequence of events leading to the boy’s death underscores the importance of thorough police procedures and highlights potential areas for improvement in law enforcement protocols.
