The case of Rudrum v Crossley arises from a collision at the intersection of Havey Avenue and Cooper Road in Kelowna. Catharine Rudrum was driving westbound on Harvey Avenue intending to turn left to southbound on Cooper Road. Jonathan Crossley was driving eastbound on Harvey Avenue and moved from the leftmost lane to the center lane as he approached Cooper Road. When the semi truck ahead of him began to slow, he moved right again, entering the HOV lane in order to pass the semi.
When Mr. Crossley was fully into the HOV lane he noticed that the traffic light ahead of him had turned yellow. After some hesitation, he decided to accelerate through the intersection rather than stopping. Evidence from his vehicle's event data recorder showed that he accelerated to 99% throttle as he entered the intersection.
Ms. Rudrum did not see Mr. Crossley due to his vehicle being hidden by the semi truck. She attempted to complete her left turn and a collision resulted that redirected Mr. Crossley's vehicle into a lamp post and striking a pedestrian. The pedestrian was injured.
Mr. Justice Wilson examined the law with regard to traffic lights and turning at intersections in connection with this collision. He found Mr. Crossley was solely responsible for the collision because Ms. Rudrum was entitled to expect him to follow the law and stop so she could complete her turn.
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