News Release
No Criminal Wrongdoing in Relation to Collision Between Vehicle and Cruiser on Highway 401 in Mississauga
Case Number: 19-PVI-155
On the morning of June 29, 2019, Ontario Provincial Police officers had blocked a portion of Highway 401 to ward off traffic from the scene of an accident a short distance west of the block. A 64-year-old man was traveling in one of the middle lanes of the express portion of Highway 401 when he came upon the road block. The man braked but was unable to avoid striking the rear portion of a stationary cruiser. The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against any officer in relation to the serious injury sustained by the driver of the civilian 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