News Release

SIU Terminates Investigation Following Motorcycle Collision in Port Colborne

Case Number: 24-OVI-382   

Other News Releases Related to Case 24-OVI-382

SIU Investigating Motorcycle Collision in Port Colborne

Mississauga, ON (9 January, 2025) ---
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into a collision between two 40-year-old male motorcyclists in Port Colborne.

Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, including video footage that captured the incident in part, on September 13, 2024, two men were riding their motorcycles on Empire Road above the speed limit.

A Niagara Regional Police Service officer was in his stationary cruiser on Empire Road facing north, south of Beach Road, when he observed the motorcyclists speeding. After they passed his location, the officer turned south to follow them and activated his emergency lights. He proceeded at moderate speeds and was a distance away when the collision occurred. The men continued south upwards of a hundred metres and collided when one of the men turned into the path of the other. The investigation found evidence that the collision was the result of a miscommunication between the riders, with the officer having nothing to do with it. On this record, there was patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of the officer.

Both men were taken to hospital and treated for suffered serious injuries.

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must

  • consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
  • depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
  • publicly report the results of its investigations

Lisez ce communiqué en français.

Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES