News Release
SIU Concludes Ottawa Collision Investigation
Case Number: 05-OVI-020
Other News Releases Related to Case 05-OVI-020
An OPS officer in a marked police cruiser collided with a van, which, in turn, struck a 69-year-old woman. The woman was in a motorized wheelchair and suffered a fractured pelvis and ankle as a result of being hit.
The SIU investigation determined that at approximately 12:04 p.m., an OPS officer was dispatched to investigate reports of youths fighting with weapons at a high school. The officer was traveling eastbound on Richmond Road with the cruiser's siren and emergency lights activated. As the officer approached the intersection of Woodroofe Avenue and Richmond Road, the officer slowed. He believed the intersection was clear and entered the intersection against a red traffic signal. A van, which was traveling northbound on Woodroofe, also entered the intersection and was struck by the police cruiser. The van then struck the woman who was waiting at the northeast corner of the intersection.
Director Cornish concluded that the driver of the van pulled into the path of the cruiser and was struck on the driver's side. The Director stated, "Of course the tragedy of this is that a lady in a motorized wheelchair was struck by the van after the cruiser hit it and the lady was seriously injured as a result."
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