Loss of man in fatal crash involving Mountie 'unbearable': family

A young man who died in a crash involving an off-duty RCMP officer loved nature, music, and was about to start a new job, his grieving family says.

Orion Hutchinson, 21, was killed Saturday night in Tsawwassen, a community in Delta, B.C., when a Jeep collided with the motorcycle he was riding.

The driver of the Jeep left the scene, but shortly after the crash police arrested anoff-duty officer with the RCMP's Vancouver 2010 integrated security unit.

Benjamin Montgomery Robinson,38, who has reportedly been suspended with pay, is scheduled to appear in provincial court on Jan. 15. Delta police have recommended he be charged with impaired driving causing death.

Robinson was the supervisor and one of four RCMP officers deployed to deal with an agitated man at Vancouver International Airport on Oct. 14, 2007. Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski was jolted by a Taser and died minutes later.

Hutchinson's family held a press conference in Delta Thursday, speaking for the first time about the "unbearable and indescribable" loss of their loved one.

Hutchinson's grandmother, Faye Daly, read a statement written by the dead man's mother on behalf of the family.

"We love and cherish our son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. We cannot believe he is not coming back to us," Daly said.

Hutchinson's mother, sister and stepfather looked on and sobbed.

"It is impossible to encapsulate in a few brief words the astounding complexity of this young man, the intensity of his mind [and] the depth of his spirit," Daly said.

"He also had an abiding love of nature and everything in the natural universe. He loved everything from spiders to towering rainforests.

"He was known to crunch for 20 minutes at a time in our backyard just to watch a tree frog. He would drag everyone over to take a look at a web that an orb spider was spinning and demand that we share his boundless fascination and admiration for the planet we live on,"his grandmother said.

Hutchinson recently completed a trades program and was planning on travelling, using themoney he would earn from his new job in Tilbury, a community in Delta.

'No special treatment,' says chief

Hutchinson's family said they are counting on the public to help find out what happened the nighthis son died, and why.

Delta police Chief Jim Cessford said Thursday the RCMP officer involved in the fatal crash "absolutely" did not receive any special treatment.

"I would be shocked and disappointed that people would even suggest that. We are the Delta Police Department. We are open, transparent; we are accountable,"Cessford said.

Witnesses said the driver of the Jeep, who had two children in his vehicle, left the scene of the collision.

Robinson was arrested shortly after the crash at the intersection of Gilchrist Drive.He was taken to the Delta police station, where he was given a breathalyzer test.