News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Thunder Bay Fatality
Case Number: 07-PVD-223
Other News Releases Related to Case 07-PVD-223
The SIU assigned two investigators, one forensic investigator and an accident reconstructionist to probe the circumstances of this death.
The SIU determined that at 10:15 p.m., Monday November 5, 2007, Darlene Almos called the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to report the theft of her cell phone. Two OPP officers in separate police cars were dispatched to investigate. They found Ms. Almos walking with her leashed dog along the side of Highway 11-17 near Sunny Beach Road. Both officers pulled their police cars completely off the highway, activated each police car's emergency lights, and stopped beside Ms. Almos.
Both officers got out of their respective police cars and walked around to the passenger side's of their police cars to talk to Ms. Almos. She appeared to be cold and she was shivering. One of the officers invited Ms. Almos to sit in the back of his police car. She agreed to do so. He opened the rear door of his police car to allow her and her dog to get in. As she started to move towards the cruiser her dog pulled away and moved towards the front of the police car. She lost her grip on the leash and the dog ran out onto Highway 11-17. Ms. Almos ran by the officer and out onto the highway after her dog. Both officers were yelling at her to stop because they could see traffic approaching. Both officers ran out onto the highway in an attempt to get Ms. Almos back to safety, but a westbound tow truck struck her. The tow truck narrowly missed one of the OPP officers that had tried to pull her to safety. Ms. Almos' dog was not injured.
Ms. Almos sustained serious injuries and she was airlifted to Thunder Bay Hospital for treatment. She succumbed to her injuries in the early morning hours of November 6, 2007.
Director Cornish said, "The officers involved in this case did not cause this tragic incident. Ms. Almos did not appreciate the grave danger she was exposing herself to as she tried to catch her dog."
If you or someone you know has been negatively affected by an incident under SIU investigation and would like support, the Affected Persons Program is here to help. You can reach us at 1-877-641-1897. Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7, every day of the year.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (municipal, regional and provincial police officers, police officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, 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