Driver of truck in fatal Marshfield collision misidentified, say RCMP

RCMP on P.E.I. say the driver of a pickup truck that caused a December highway crash that four people dead in Marshfield, northeast of Charlottetown, was actually the person they thought was a passenger in the vehicle.

Police had arrested a 20-year-old man they thought had been driving, and said they expected to lay charges of impaired driving causing death. However, in a news release Friday, they said further investigation had shown their initial finding of who was driving the truck at the time of the Dec. 8 crash was incorrect.

Cpl. Gavin Moore, who speaks for the P.E.I. RCMP, said the investigation was an extensive one that took several months. It included witness accounts, traffic reconstruction, search warrants, lab analysis and analysis of medical records.

That's how police figured out that 30-year-old Daniel Joseph Bambrick, the person they had thought was a passenger in the truck, was actually driving when it hit an oncoming vehicle. Bambrick was seriously injured in the crash, and later died of his injuries.

"This was an investigation that was quite dynamic," Moore told CBC News in an interview.

"A lot of different things were examined, and as you can understand, with information that took us in a particular direction at the beginning, it was incumbent upon us to make sure ... every piece of evidence that could be collected was looked at to see if it corroborated, disproved or added to the investigation, and so that's one of the factors that added to the timeframe in this investigation."

RCMP Cpl. Gavin Moore, shown at a Mothers Against Drunk Driving road check shortly after the Dec. 8 Marshfield crash, said the investigation has come to a close given that the man police now believe was responsible died of his injuries. (Stacey Janzer/CBC)

RCMP say the pickup truck, which was travelling east on Route 2, pulled out to pass a vehicle and collided head-on into the car.

Three people in the car, all under the age of 20, died at the scene, and a fourth was seriously injured. The other occupant of the truck, who police now say was a passenger, was injured but survived.

Mother of 2 victims issues statement

TaraDawn Chaisson lost two sons in the Marshfield crash; her son Micah survived but spent months in hospital, and is now continuing his recovery at home.

She sent CBC News the following statement in lieu of an interview.

"If, in fact [the other person in the pickup truck] was not the driver that night, Micah and I are very relieved for his sake. We recognize the terrible weight of guilt he would have had to carry. We sincerely hope that he and others can use this as an opportunity to advocate for better choices, and share with others the importance of stopping friends and family from getting behind the wheel while under the influence."

Investigation complete

Moore said the RCMP continue to believe alcohol played a role in the collision, but the investigation is now complete.

"It's not often that you'll see a case where information could go in one direction and then go in another," he said. "It does happen.

"We appreciate the patience of the families who are affected by this, and Islanders at large."