News Release
No Basis to Charge Officer in Relation to Collision in Matheson Between Car and Tractor-Trailer
Case Number: 19-PVI-236
Other News Releases Related to Case 19-PVI-236
On the morning of September 24, 2019, a 28-year-old man was seriously injured when the vehicle he was driving struck a tractor-trailer on Highway 11 just south and east of Matheson, Ontario. When the collision occurred, an Ontario Provincial Police officer had been following the driver at a distance. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s injuries.
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