Bruce Crew was active in the community and did everything required of him as a police officer despite years of pain due to back problems.

Bruce was born on April 10, 1936 and had a keen interest in sports. He was appointed to the OPP on April 3, 1958 and was stationed at the Kitchener Detachment. Bruce and his family lived in Kitchener for seven years before they moved to Goderich.

He was an enthusiastic handyman and carpenter and volunteered his time at the local Presbyterian Church. Bruce coached minor hockey, and a memorial cup was instituted in his honour.

PC Crew was a twenty-five year veteran of the OPP at the time of his death. During the last few years of his service, Bruce suffered from a spinal column disease that caused his ligaments and disk to solidify. Despite the pain, he continued to work hard.

In the early hours of September 25, 1983, PC Crew and his partner, PC Straughan, were on patrol when they were dispatched to support a member of the Goderich Police Department who was involved in a high-speed chase. A couple more cruisers also converged on the speeding vehicle. A chase ensued with the two OPP officers positioning their cruiser on the highway.

The fugitive car crested the first hill and the vehicle skidded to a halt. PC Straughan radioed to say that the chase was over. PC Crew walked over to the stopped vehicle to seize the keys from the ignition. The radio transmission was not picked up by the officer who was driving the vehicle from the Goderich Police Department. As the car came over the hill, unaware of the situation just ahead of them, the Goderich Police Department vehicle struck the OPP cruiser, the fugitive car and PC Crew who stood in its path. Crew was killed and his partner was injured.

The subsequent coroner’s inquest jury recommended a mandatory review of high-speed chases by all Ontario police forces.

A police funeral was held and Bruce Crew was laid to rest in the Presbyterian cemetery in Collingwood.

Bruce Crew’s photograph along with a plaque commemorating the Bruce Crew Memorial Golf Tournament hangs proudly at the Huron County Detachment.