News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to St. Catharines Collision that Resulted in Injuries to Two Men
Case Number: 19-PVI-056
Other News Releases Related to Case 19-PVI-056
On March 16, 2019, a 20-year-old man crashed his vehicle as he attempted to exit Highway 406 onto Fourth Avenue in St. Catharines. He suffered spinal fractures and required surgery, and his 21-year-old passenger sustained facial injuries. Prior to the collision, an Ontario Provincial Police officer had briefly pursued the 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 collision.
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