A Canadian police officer has died after spending thirty years in a coma, his department has confirmed, and will be buried next week with full police honours.
Constable Ian Jordan of Canada's Victoria Police Department fell into the coma in 1987, after he was involved in a car accident with another police car while working an early morning shift.
On September 22, 1987, Constable Jordan was responding to a potential break and enter, according to a statement from Victoria Police.
"As VicPD members raced to the scene, Cst. Jordan’s vehicle collided with another VicPD car," the statement said.
"As tragic as this incident was, its enduring legacy was the establishment of a trauma team,' which was the forerunner of our Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team. This team is now an essential component of how VicPD assists its officers and staff after traumatic incidents of all kinds."
A full departmental funeral will be held for the officer on Thursday, April 19.
According to the Canadian Press, Constable Jordan was 35 years old at the time of the accident and was married with a young son.
His wife Hilary Jordan said that someone from his family or the police department had visited every day.
"I feel like I'm back 30 years ago and it was just a new normal, 30 years visiting hospital every day. It's just really part of my life now. So it just feels quite different," she told the Canadian Press.
"But I'm happy for Ian that his struggle is over and he'll be at peace."
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