On September 16th, 1963 Vancouver Police Reserve Inspector Stan Trentham was directing traffic near Empire Stadium-Hastings Park, before a BC Lions versus Montreal Alouettes football game. Reserve Vancouver Police Officers are commonly used to direct traffic before and after such events due to the heavy traffic congestion. He was stationed at the intersection of Windermere St. and E. Hastings St. He was standing in the middle of the intersection, as his training dictated, and as numerous other policeman have safely done before. He was in full uniform, wearing an orange reflective vest and holding a flashlight with a red lens. Although it was night, the weather was clear and there was very good artificial lighting. The traffic was heavy but moving slow.

At 20:05 hours he was suddenly struck by an eastbound vehicle, that obviously did not see him. The vehicle was estimated to be travelling at 35 mph. He was carried eighty feet by the vehicle before he came to rest on the road. Witnesses reported seeing the suspect vehicle, a late model car, stop further east on Hastings; the driver got out, looked around, got back in and drove away. Reserve Inspector Trentham died at the scene.

The next day the suspect accompanied by his lawyer turned himself in at the Vancouver Police Station at 475 Main St. He admitted to being the driver and was charged with Hit and Run.

Stan Trentham was the type of man who loved life, always had a smile on his face and made the best of any situation. As a young man he served as a Seaforth Highlander and was in the honour guard for the visit of Queen Elizabeth and King George the Fifth in 1939. He worked as a Tram Conductor for BC Trams on the Vancouver to Marpole route and before his death as a toll collector on the Oak Street Bridge.