News Release
Man Seated in Parked Police Vehicle was Injured When Vehicle was Rear-ended; No Reasonable Grounds to Charge Officer in Relation to Vaughan Collision
Case Number: 19-OVI-010
Other News Releases Related to Case 19-OVI-010
On the morning of January 10, 2019, a York Regional Police officer stopped a van on Highway 407 to charge the driver with stunt driving and speeding. As the officer prepared his tickets, the man was seated in the backseat of the police vehicle. Shortly after, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the police vehicle. The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against the officer in relation to the serious injuries sustained by the man who was in the police vehicle.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
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