Family, friends of snowmobiler struck by fire truck hold protest

About 20 people gathered in front of the Amherst RCMP detachment on Sunday to call for police accountability after snowmobiler Blake Nicholson was struck and killed by a fire truck last week in Collingwood Corner, N.S. 

Friends and family of Nicholson were among the protesters.

"We just need answers, that's it," said Adam Nicholson, Blake's brother. "And no one is telling anybody, anything and they're hiding everything and not telling us."

Nicholson said the family has yet to receive any of his brother's belongings, including the snowmobile, and haven't been contacted by officials.

RCMP, emergency health services and the Collingwood District volunteer fire department responded to a call for help after Nicholson crashed his snowmobile on Wyvern Road near Poison Lake on Feb. 21 at around 10:20 p.m. 

RCMP say Nicholson was being tended to when he was struck by the fire truck. He was pronounced dead a short time later. 

Greg Herrett, the CAO of the local municipality, confirmed that Jerrold Cotton, the fire chief of Collingwood fire department, was driving the truck at the time of the incident. 

Cotton had pleaded guilty to impaired driving in 2020. Municipal officials say he was driving a fire truck during that time.

RCMP said last week that alcohol or drugs are not believed to be a factor in the latest incident.

Last week, Cumberland's municipal council voted to discharge Cotton and Deputy Chief Andrea Bishop, Cotton's wife, from the fire station and ban them for life. 

CBC reached out to Cotton over the weekend but the calls were not returned. 

Tyler Thomas, a friend of Nicholson, was in attendance for Sunday's protest. He says he wanted to make his presence known at this protest to show he cares. 

"It's not just another death … it's the thought of it. That's a first responder, somebody that was there to help," Thomas said of Cotton. 

Maddi Mitchell, Nicholson's fiancée and mother to Nicholson's two-year-old son, joined Nicholson's brother in asking for transparency from the RCMP. 

"He left behind a little boy, a whole family, brothers and sisters," said Mitchell. "It's disgusting and we want justice for Blake." 

The RCMP said it would have no comment while there was an ongoing investigation.