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Calgary man sentenced in 2012 death of limo driver in Whistler

Police Briefs: Still no cause of death for Jake Kermond; mailboxes broken into
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SENTENCED Calgary's Jacob Mitzimberg was sentenced to 18 months jail last month for his role in a 2012 car accident that killed a limo driver. File Photo by Bonny Makarewicz / bonmakphoto.com

A 23-year-old Calgary man was sentenced to prison last month for his role in a 2012 car accident that claimed the life of a limo driver in Whistler.

On Jan. 28 of that year, 54-year-old Delta man Shafiqur Rahman was driving south on Highway 99 when a pickup truck crossed the centre line south of a Function Junction intersection and struck him head on.

Rahman, a married father of two, was left trapped in the burning limo and died as a result of his injuries.

The truck's driver, Jacob Mitzimberg, pled guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing death, and was sentenced to 18 months jail time and three months probation. He is also prohibited from getting behind the wheel for 30 months.

The original police report alleged that Mitzimberg was impaired at the time of the accident. Court documents obtained by CBC later found that he may have been under the influence of alcohol and LSD.

Crown counsel, however, did not proceed on the charge of impaired driving causing death.

Homicide police squash rumours that Aussie teen was pushed off cliff

A spokesperson with B.C.'s homicide investigation unit wants to quell rumours that an Australian teen who was discovered at the bottom of a Whistler gravel pit last month was murdered.

Some media outlets in Australia have reported that the death of 19-year-old Jake Kermond, whose decomposing remains were found in an industrial area on June 17, was likely a homicide. One went so far as to claim that he may have been pushed off a cliff.

"We have no evidence of that," said Sgt. Stephanie Ashton with the RCMP's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

The truth is, while his death is being treated as suspicious, police don't have much evidence to support any concrete theory of Kermond's death.

"There's a strong likelihood we won't be able to (determine a cause of death) just because the state of decomposition at the time he was found," Ashton said. "We may never be able to get a conclusive answer."

Kermond had been visiting Whistler when he went missing from his hotel room in late April. He was found weeks later by a cyclist at the bottom of a rock pit near Whistler's asphalt plant.

Ashton added there are no signs that Kermond was suffering from mental illness or depression at the time of his disappearance.

In a statement, Kermond's family said coming to Whistler had always been the teenager's dream.

"We will miss him every day of our lives," it read. "We are devastated by the loss of our son."

Police investigating rash of mailbox thefts

Police have received at least six reports in the past week of mailboxes being broken into around Whistler.

Whistler RCMP's Rob Knapton said the rash of thefts haven't been concentrated to a particular area and that police are unsure if the incidents can be linked to a single suspect or not.

Knapton advised the public to check their mail on a daily basis to help in "minimizing the potential for theft and the amount of items taken."

Some Whistlerites have taken to social media to express their frustration, particularly those waiting for their Pemberton Music Festival wristbands to arrive in the mail. Knapton was unable to confirm if any festival tickets have been stolen.

A spokesperson for Canada Post said the crown corporation is working with police on the investigation.

"We are communicating with customers and working as quickly as possible to repair our equipment and restore our normal service," said Eugene Knapik, who reassured the community over the security of Canada Post's mailboxes.

"I would say our boxes are secure, but determined criminals will go to great lengths to achieve their target," he added.

For those who have had their post boxes vandalized, you can retrieve your mail from the Canada Post office in the village.