News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Fatal Collision in New Tecumseth
Case Number: 19-PVD-229
Other News Releases Related to Case 19-PVD-229
On the night of September 16, 2019, an Ontario Provincial Police officer observed a vehicle travelling eastbound on 6th Line in New Tecumseth and noticed an issue with the rear licence plate. As a result, the officer made a U-turn to execute a vehicle stop. The driver of the vehicle accelerated, and the officer lost sight of the vehicle. Moments later, the vehicle ran a stop sign at the intersection of 5th Line and 20th Sideroad, striking a Volkswagen. The 23-year-old driver of the Volkswagen sustained serious injuries, and her passenger, a 36-year-old woman, was later pronounced dead at hospital. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined that there are no reasonable grounds to believe the officer either caused or contributed to the collision in question, or otherwise drove dangerously in violation of the Criminal Code.
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