News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Ajax Motor Vehicle Death
Case Number: 13-PVD-111
Mississauga (2 May, 2013) --- Based on the Ontario Special Investigations Unit’s (SIU) preliminary enquiries into the vehicle death of a male in Ajax early this morning, SIU Acting Director Joseph Martino has terminated the investigation.
The SIU investigation determined that at approximately 1:20 a.m. on Thursday, May 2, 2013, officers with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) closed the east and west bound lanes of Highway 401 to assist work crews on the highway. As OPP began to reopen the highway, officers were notified that a tractor trailer and a passenger vehicle had been involved in a collision. The passenger in the involved vehicle was pronounced deceased.
Upon the SIU’s preliminary investigation, SIU investigators learned that OPP officers were approximately three kilometres west of the scene when they were notified of the collision. Under the circumstances, and in particular the fact that the death of the male was not caused by the actions of the police, there is patently nothing to investigate. Accordingly, the SIU investigation has been terminated.
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