Record staff
The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who died after a motor vehicle incident near Courtenay on Feb. 10, as 24-year-old Sean William Owens, of Comox.
Owens was the driver and sole occupant of a car that left the road and crashed on the 800-block of Forbidden Plateau Road near Courtenay in the evening of Feb. 10. The car, a blue 2013 Mazda CX5, had been reported stolen from the 17 St. Starbucks in Courtenay earlier that day.
The vehicle was located by police the following morning (Feb. 11), with Owens inside, deceased.
The theft occurred as the vehicle was left running outside the Starbucks at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10. The vehicle's owner was in the coffee shop and had the key fob with him.
Comox Valley RCMP Const. Rob Gardner said there are some misconceptions surrounding the operation of vehicles and key fobs.
“A lot of people think the vehicle can't be driven without the key fob present, or it will stall once it gets a certain distance from the fob, but that obviously isn't the case,” said Gardner. “The vehicle will continue to run until it either runs out of gas or is turned off. I am assuming that some people think it is safe to put the key fob in your pocket and walk away from the car. Well, it's not.”