News Release
SIU Discontinues Investigation into Collision in Peterborough between Civilian Vehicle and OPP Cruiser
Case Number: 17-PVI-227
The Acting Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an incident where an Ontario Provincial Police cruiser was involved in a collision in Peterborough with a civilian vehicle in August of 2017.
The collision occurred in the afternoon of August 23, 2017 in the intersection of Ashburnham Drive and Lansdowne Street. The female driver of the civilian vehicle was transported from the scene to hospital for assessment and released later the same day. A review of the female’s medical records, obtained a couple of weeks after the incident, confirmed that the woman had not suffered any serious injuries.
Consequently, as the SIU’s mandate is statutorily limited to the investigation of “serious injuries and deaths” in cases involving the police, the SIU is without jurisdiction to continue the investigation and the file has been closed.
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