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Questions about RCMP policy after pedestrian killed on Highway 1

Jan 5, 2011 | 4:57 PM

A tragedy near Regina has many people wondering why an RCMP officer would pick up a man on a highway outside of Moose Jaw, only to drop him off on the same highway outside of the Queen City.

Adam Yoner, 24, was struck by a semi and killed Sunday night.

RCMP had received several calls about Yoner, who was “suspiciously” walking along Highway 1 outside of Moose Jaw. Officers attended and Yoner gave them a false identity, but stated he lived in Regina.

Sgt. Paul Dawson said the Mountie offered Yoner a ride, dropping him off just outside of Regina, figuring the lighting made for better visibility and that he was much closer to home than he was in Moose Jaw.

“It's easy to second guess — and I know the member himself — had he known that was going to occur, of course he would have taken him further,” Dawson said. “But that's what the member did, and that's the reasoning as to why he did that.”

Dawson noted there's no blanket policy for RCMP transporting civilians.

“It would be a very, very bad thing to not have that option, to take someone to another location,” Dawson said, adding that many lives have been saved the same way.

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