Now that I am beginning to feel a bit better, I wish to thank the many people who assisted me at the time and after the accident I had on July 10 in the collision with a deer on Highway 101.
I want to thank all the witnesses who stopped and made me as comfortable as possible until the arrival of paramedics and the RCMP. Thanks to the paramedics and the crew of the air ambulance for a safe transport to Vancouver General Hospital. Thanks to all the staff at VGH for making the stay there as pleasant as possible. Thanks also to the RCMP members on the Sunshine Coast, the staff at the detachment, all my supervisors, my wife, family and friends for their initial and continued support.
I was amazed and touched by the amount of support and well wishes I received from the community on the Sunshine Coast and many of the community organizations. It makes me proud to be a member of this community and the RCMP.
I have spent 38 years in policing. At present I chose to work in the traffic section even though I know it is not the most glamorous area of policing and it will not make me very popular with many of the people I serve.
My goal is to make a contribution in making this community a safe place for everyone and I feel that I can make the greatest difference working in the traffic section. I know it is not pleasant to receive a ticket.
My ideal shift would be spent on the road without seeing a single violation. This would mean to me that I am doing my job and have made our highways a safer place.
Const. Adriaan de Jong, Sunshine Coast Traffic Section
