News Release

News Release

SIU Concludes Mississauga Vehicle Injuries Investigation

Case Number: 14-OVI-121   

Mississauga (29 January, 2015) --- The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Tony Loparco, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge a Peel Regional Police officer with any criminal offence in relation to the injuries sustained by two men in May of 2014.

The SIU assigned six investigators, two forensic investigators and one collision reconstructionist to probe the circumstances of this incident. As part of the investigation, the SIU interviewed one witness officer and seven civilian witnesses. The SIU reviewed the audio interviews of an additional 12 civilian witnesses. The subject officer consented to an interview with the SIU but did not supply a copy of his duty notes, as is his legal right.

The SIU investigation found that the following events took place on Friday, May 30, 2014:

• In the morning hours, the subject officer was operating radar at the intersection of Hewick’s Lane and Eglinton Avenue West in Mississauga;
• The officer was positioned at the southeast corner of the intersection when he observed what he believed to be a speeding vehicle traveling eastbound on Eglinton Avenue in the passing lane. The officer moved onto the roadway and successfully signaled that vehicle, and another vehicle (driving in the middle lane), to come to a safe stop at the intersection;
• Meanwhile, an Infiniti, a BMW and a Mustang were travelling eastbound on Eglinton Avenue. The Infiniti came to a controlled but sudden stop in the passing lane behind the traffic that had been stopped by the subject officer. The BMW, which had been following the Infiniti, changed lanes into the middle lane of Eglinton Avenue. The   Mustang then veered quickly to the south and entered the curb lane. The Mustang lost control, struck the south curb and left the roadway, hitting a cement light pole; 
• Two 18-year-old males, passengers in the Mustang, bore the brunt of the impact and suffered serious fractures and other injuries. They were taken to hospital by ambulance.

Director Loparco said, “The subject officer had apparently conducted the same sort of traffic enforcement from that location on about 40 occasions without incident. He was there on the day in question because of complaints about speeding vehicles in the area. He was appropriately attired in police uniform and clearly visible in a bright reflective vest. As was his practice, the officer stepped onto the roadway to stop an apparent violator and successfully stopped the lead traffic approaching him. The roadway was dry and in good repair, visibility was good and traffic appears to have been moderate. In short, the evidence indicates that the officer had full regard for the care and safety of the vehicular traffic approaching him when he stepped onto the roadway to effect a traffic stop. In my view, the subject officer did nothing wrong in these circumstances.”

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