Pr N Lions Gath Projecy Urpare Work continues on the Lions Gate Bridge in preparation far the bridge deck replacement. On Sunday to Thursday niohts drivers can expect delays and singie-iana closures on the bridge. Tune to FM 94.5 for updates. MAY 14, 2000 Bright Lights Celebrations Classifieds t Crossword Fashion Renshaw Seniors Tatking Personals « HCN Puptcation Comcany Pupisner Peter Sem 1939 Lonsdale Avewe Noh vancouver 30 VIM 2h? Canagian Puptcatons Mai Sa'es Proguct Ageenert 49 0087238 §2 Pages Car crasi WV Police investigation of fatality under review Jan-Christian Sorensen Contributing Writer WEST Vancouver Police Chief Grant Churchill has ordered an internal investiga- tion into his department’s response to a car crash at Cypress Creek that claimed the life of 16-year-old Nick Downs on May 7. An internal investigation is a private review undertaken by police of their own conduct. In some cases another police depart- _ ment is asked to investigate. The process is overseen by the provin- - al police complaint commissioner. Nick Downs died instantly when the silver 1991 Mercedes he was driving launched off the Cypress Creek Bridge and plunged nearly 300 feet (91.4 m) to the creek below, Downs’ father reported his son nassing at about noon on Sunday. The car was not discovered until early that evening. But Malcolm Bell, who lives on Ripple Road near Cypress Creek, said he reported the accident nearly 12 hours before the Lice even launched their search for the boy. Bell and his wife were in bed at approximately 1:15 a.m. on Sunday morning when they heard a loud crash followed by “mul- tiple crunching sounds” from the direction of the nearby Upper Levels Highway. “We quickly drew the conclusion that a car had gone off the bridge and landed in the ravine,” said Bell, who immediately dialled 9-1-1. “I said, ‘This is Malcolm Bell ... I’ve just been woken out of my bed with the sound ofa horrendous car crash on the Upper Levels Highway at Cypress Park Creek and I believe a car has gone over the bridge and crashed in the canyon below,” Bell recalled. . Bell then dressed, grabbed a flashlight and ventured down Ripple Road toward the canyon. He searched the area for about half an hour but uncovered nothing. Unfortunately, he searched every area except the south side of the western highway lane, which is where the car left the road. During that time, he said, he saw two West Vancouver Police cruisers drive by. :.. The first car, wravelling on the Upper Levels Highway, slowed but did not stop, while the second passed Bell on Ripple Road as he was scouring for signs of the crash. The second cruiser didn’t stop to ask him any questions — which Bell thinks is highly unusual. “(There's a problem with) police officers in the field that don’t take the initiative to talk to someone who's on a very lonely, unlit stretch of the district at 1:20 in the morning with a flashlight, _ standing on the side of the road when he’s sent to investigate a motor vehicle accident,” said Bell. Following that, Bell said he returned to his home and phoned the West Vancouver Police dispatch number to ask if they had any * further information. See No page 8 The Voice of North and West Vancouver since 1969 Travel 034 urreal Florida off the beaten track Water Leech revolutionizes flood restoration jobs Business p15 Www. nisnews.com NEWS photo Julie tverson Passing fancy WEST Vancouver secondary schcel’s Graeme Pitches receives the baton from teammate Behnadh Honarbakhsh in boys 4X100 metre relay action on Thursday at Handsworth secondary. Squamish Nation toe get wired Deana Lancaster News Reporter dlancaster@nsnews.com THE Squamish Nation is getting into the high-speed communications business. On Friday, it announced a plan to lay a 140-kilometre (87- mile) fibre-optic cable network linking its members on reserves on the North Shore and in Squamish to Whistler and downtown Vancouver. The cable’s instaflation is expected to cost approximately $7 illion. Harold Calla, Squamish Nation councillor and director See Band page 8 > 35TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION 00,000: MEMBERS fy EXCLUSIVE WOMEN’ ONLY FACILITIES n Gy CO-ED FACILITIES”... 17? amas INTRODUCTORY OFFER.