2 men sue province over sheriff's van crash

Two men injured in the crash of a sheriffs van last year have filed lawsuits against the provincial government and are seeking damages based on their injuries.

The two men were detainees and were shackled into the back of a van that left the road androlled multiple times before coming to rest in a field.

In statements of claim filed with the court in Moncton, Michael Genova and Marcus Warren Augustine allege they were handcuffed, shackled and were wearing seatbelts in the van.

They claim the van was being driven in an unsafe manner for the road conditions at the time.

Genova claims he suffered a broken vertebrae, shattered ribs and a bulging disk.

Augustine claims he had fractures in the chest area and required surgery.

The claims have not been proven in court.

But the two men are asking for damages and costs for future care and treatment. They do not specify a dollar amount in the documents.

CBC News has asked the provincial government for information about procedures for transporting and securing detainees in sheriff's vans as well policies surrounding travel during weather events. The request has been denied.

The accident happened when two sheriff's officers were transporting three inmates from the Dalhousie Regional Correctional Centre to the courthouses in Bathurst and Miramichi.

John Cranton witnessed the crash last year. He said he watched as the sheriff's van ahead of him suddenly spun out of control on slushy Route 11.

He said the van hit the shoulder and then rolled at least four times. When the back doors were opened Cranton said he saw three injured and dazed men in handcuffs, one of them lying apparently unconscious on the floor.

The RCMP said highway conditions were not good at the time due to a storm. A RCMP spokesperson said the rollover was one of nine accidents in that part of the province that day.