Circumstances

On Wednesday September 24, 1986, Constable VanBreda and her partner were working a night shift within the City of St. Catharines. They were in a marked police vehicle assigned general patrol duties. They attended a minor two motor vehicle collision.

Constable VanBreda walked from her police vehicle then crossed the roadway when she was struck by a motor vehicle being operated by an impaired driver. Constable VanBreda was thrown 15 metres before impacting the trunk of her police vehicle and falling to the ground. Constable Joan Theresa VanBreda was found unconscious on the ground just east of the roadway, suffering from critical life-threatening injuries. Constable VanBreda's injuries were extensive.

Postscript

Constable VanBreda was only 22 years old at the time of the collision. Her path to recovery was filled with both achievements and tribulations, however; ultimately due to ongoing medical issues as a result of being struck by a motor vehicle died, May 22, 2020.