News Release
SIU Terminates Norfolk County Collision Investigation
Case Number: 18-PVI-239
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the serious injuries sustained by a 28-year-old man last month in Norfolk County when he was involved in a motor vehicle collision.
In the early morning hours of August 8, 2018, the Ontario Provincial Police was made aware of a vehicle that had been stolen in Delhi. At approximately 9:10 a.m., an officer tried to stop the vehicle in Simcoe, but it did not stop. The officer quickly discontinued the pursuit. The vehicle was then observed by two other officers, but neither officer engaged in a pursuit of the vehicle. At approximately 9:40 a.m., at the intersection of CR 23 and CR 45, the vehicle went airborne, landed in a ditch and rolled several times. The man was transported to hospital for treatment of multiple serious injuries. At the time of the collision, no police cruiser was remotely near the vehicle, and the first officer arrived on scene more than 10 minutes later.
Director Loparco said, “The evidence is clear that no police officer caused or contributed to the collision involving the man. As such, I have terminated the investigation into this incident.”
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