Paramedics at their ambulance. (Image Credit: Pattison Media)

By Liam Verster

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Conservative Health Critic issues call for answers in the Vernon hit-and-run death

Feb 24, 2026 | 10:49 AM

The Conservative Party of B.C. says a 22-year-old Vernon man was fatally struck by a semi truck after the system failed him.

Claire Rattée, MLA for Skeena and Critic for Mental Health, Addictions, and Housing Supports, has issued a call for immediate answers following the deaths of 22-year-old Ezra Cool.

Cool was reportedly struck and killed by a semi truck on Highway 6 and 27th Street on the morning of Feb. 12.

In a GoFundMe campaign, Cool’s family stated the man checked himself into the hospital under a wellness check, and was supposed to receive 24/7 care.

The Health Critic said Cool was supposed to be under care of the hospital and that this death should not have happened.

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“When someone is certified under the Mental Health Act, that means the state has taken responsibility for their care and safety,” Rattée said.

“If a patient in active psychosis can walk out of a hospital undetected after nearly a week under supervision, then the safeguards clearly failed.”

She went on to say that Vernon had seen “mass resignations of psychiatrists” recently, and that the care and supervision cannot be given without proper staffing.

In the wake of the death, Rattée said the government must answer the following questions:

• How was a certified patient able to leave undetected?
• Were proper supervision protocols in place?
• Were staffing shortages a contributing factor?
• What changes will be made immediately to ensure this never happens again?

“Ezra did exactly what we tell people to do when they are struggling; he asked for help,” Rattée said.

“His family trusted the system to keep him safe. They deserve accountability. And British Columbians deserve to know whether their loved ones would be protected in the same situation.”

Rattée said there should be an independent review into the circumstances of the death and the Minister of Health should provide a full public explanation.

“This cannot be dismissed as an isolated incident,” the Health Critic said.

“When psychiatric services are destabilized and oversight fails, people die. The government cannot keep claiming the system is working when parents are burying their children.”

As of the latest report, the RCMP were still searching for the truck and driver involved in the fatal collision.