EDMONTON -- RCMP officers involved in a pursuit three years ago that ended in a deadly crash, were cleared of any wrongdoing in a fatality inquiry report released yesterday.

Sarah Jouppi, 21, was killed instantly when the car she was riding in veered off the road and crashed into a small slough.

The ordeal began Oct. 10, 2006 around 4:30 a.m. when an RCMP officer at the Vegreville detachment noticed a suspicious vehicle leaving a known drug house. The officer tailed the car and ran a search on its licence plate.

When it turned up as stolen, he attempted to pull the male driver over. But when he turned on his lights, the vehicle sped away, barrelling down Highway 16 at 140 to 160 km/h, the report says.

The officer, who had contacted the Strathcona detachment to supervise the chase, sped after the car until it suddenly pulled a U-turn, driving the cruiser off the road and into a ditch.

The Mountie, however, was able to manoeuvre his way back onto the road and tried to continue the chase.

In the meantime, he had lost sight of the fleeing car. As he continued down Highway 16, the cop came across a car engulfed in flames on the side of the road.

Quickly jumping into action, he opened the driver's door and dragged the occupant to safety.

Meanwhile, another pair of officers had found the stolen vehicle flipped on its side in a slough about 100 metres from the burning wreck. The male driver had managed to crawl out of the car while another man was struggling to free himself.

Mounties later discovered Jouppi still belted in on the passenger's side. She was declared dead at the scene.

Joseph Edward Openshaw was sentenced to 16 years in prison stemming from charges related to the crash.

The report says he was on a "multi-day crack cocaine binge" at the time of the deadly collision.

Judge D.G. Rae ruled that Openshaw was to blame for Jouppi's death.

"I am satisfied from the evidence that the RCMP ... acted in accordance with the written RCMP pursuit policy then in force," he wrote.

He went on to praise the officer who "rescued the innocent victim of the collision from his burning vehicle."

Rae noted that RCMP policy has since been revamped, forcing officers to abandon pursuits if the only reason for the chase is a stolen vehicle.

ALYSSA.NOEL@SUNMEDIA.CA