News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Collision in Vaughan
Case Number: 06-OVI-130
Other News Releases Related to Case 06-OVI-130
On July 28, 2006, three YRP officers with the Emergency Response Unit responded to a call in an unmarked police SUV. In the area of Centre and Dufferin Streets, the police car collided with a Mitzubishi vehicle. All three occupants in the Mitzubishi were injured, two of them seriously. The officers suffered minor injuries.
The SIU investigation determined that at about 11:03 p.m., the YRP received a 911 call about an armed robbery in progress at a store in a plaza at 1136 Centre Street. One of the first arriving officers broadcast over the police radio that there were people on the street asking for help. The officer requested back up. The police dispatcher then advised other responding officers that the suspect was seen running from the area on foot.
Three officers, who were in an unmarked SUV equipped with concealed emergency lighting, were in the area of Rutherford Road and Bathurst Street when they received the call. The officer who was driving turned on the truck's emergency lights and siren and turned south onto Bathurst Street to Centre Street. He traveled westbound on Centre Street and passed New Westminster Drive. As the police approached the robbery scene, one of the officers turned off the truck's emergency lighting equipment and siren to ensure their safety upon arrival at the scene.
In the meantime, the driver of the Mitzubishi had stopped in the eastbound turn lane of Centre Street to make a left turn into a plaza parking lot. The subject officer saw the Mitzubishi and applied the brakes, causing the SUV to skid to the left. The SUV collided with the stopped Mitzubishi in the westbound passing lane of Centre Street.
The investigation determined that in the five seconds before impact, the officer's speed reduced from about 100 km/hour to less than 72 km/hour.
Having reviewed all of the available evidence, the Director concluded the subject officer was headed to the scene of an armed robbery in progress and aware that there was another officer on the scene calling for and needing back up. Director Cornish said, "The officer was speeding but took evasive action and applied the brakes when he saw the Mitzubishi. I do not believe that officer's driving was criminal in nature."
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