News Release
SIU Concludes Guelph Vehicle Injury Investigation
Case Number: 14-OVI-073
Other News Releases Related to Case 14-OVI-073
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Tony Loparco, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge a Guelph Police Service (GPS) officer with any criminal offence in relation to the injuries sustained by a 30-year-old woman in March of this year.
The SIU assigned four investigators, one forensic investigator and one collision reconstructionist to probe the circumstances of this incident. Four civilian witnesses were interviewed. An examination of the involved vehicles and the SIU accident reconstructionist’s report provided further information in determining the material events in this investigation. The subject officer did not consent to an interview or provide a copy of his memo notes, as is his legal right.
The SIU investigation found that the following events took place on March 23, 2014:
• Just before 5:00 p.m., the complainant was operating a Toyota Yaris southbound into Clair Road West from a stopped position at a stop sign located at the exit lane of the Clairfield Commons Plaza.
• When the Yaris reached a speed of 20 km/h the left front fender and driver’s door were impacted by a GPS Ford Taurus that was travelling westbound in the passing westbound lane of Clair Road West at 58 km/h.
• The driver of the Toyota suffered a fractured pelvis as a result of the collision.
Director Loparco said, “The driver of the Toyota believed that traffic had cleared when she proceeded into her turn. She was mistaken. The officer did absolutely nothing wrong. He was travelling within the 60 km/h speed limit and clearly had the right of way through the intersection. There is nothing he could have done to avoid the impact.”
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