New Brunswick cyclists demand clarity from police after severe collision

On July 23, Eric Tremblay set out on his bike from his home in Hampton, N.B., for a scenic 60-km ride through the countryside, with a final destination in Quispamsis. The purpose of his trip was twofold. Firstly, he was going to assess a newly-installed bike rack at the nursing home where his wife, Tammy Costain worked.  Secondly, he was going to use her car for some errands.

Frustration mounted for weeks

According to a CBC report, shortly after Tremblay began his ride, Costain received a call from a first responder. They  said  that her husband had been involved in a collision with a motorist. That began an arduous three-week period marked by frustration. The couple attempted to reconstruct the events surrounding the crash, hindered by a lack of information from the police.

Arriving at the Saint John Regional Hospital on the day of the accident, Costain reached the medical facility ahead of Tremblay’s ambulance. She recollected asking him about the incident, to which he responded, “He passed me, cut me off.” This brief explanation unveiled only a portion of the story.

Ten days in hospital

Tremblay’s ordeal led to a grueling ten-day stay in intensive care. The injuries he sustained were extensive. He required facial reconstruction surgery and the removal of gravel from his mouth. His injuries included road rash, a spinal cord fracture, and a finger injury. Surprisingly, the RCMP never initiated a conversation with him regarding the crash, Tremblay told the CBC.

As the weeks continued after the collision, both Tremblay and Costain expressed their continued inability to obtain answers to their pressing questions. Despite Costain’s repeated visits to the Hampton RCMP detachment during her husband’s intensive care period, she encountered consistent refusals to disclose any information related to the case.

RCMP says investigation is ongoing

Cpl. Hans Ouellette, New Brunswick RCMP’s official spokesperson, confirmed to the CBC that the investigation into the case remains ongoing. He verified that an emergency call was received at approximately 1:30 p.m. on the day of the collision, prompting a response from the Hampton RCMP.

Ouellette refrained from confirming whether the Hampton RCMP officers took a statement from Tremblay or if any details were being withheld from him concerning the incident.

“What I can affirm is that it is not our standard procedure to withhold information from individuals who are directly impacted by a situation,” he stated. “There’s some information in policing investigations that some individuals may not be privy to. It depends on where an investigation is going.”