News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Police Pursuit that Ended with Collision Between Bus and Vehicle in Toronto
Case Number: 20-PVI-072
Other News Releases Related to Case 20-PVI-072
SIU Appealing for Witnesses to Toronto Collision Between Bus and Vehicle
On the morning of April 4, 2020, an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer was on patrol traveling west on Highway 401 when he observed two vehicles speeding ahead of him. When the officer pulled up alongside one of the vehicles, that vehicle slowed down. The other vehicle, a Hyundai Sonata, continued to speed and ultimately exited on the Bathurst Street off-ramp. The officer pursued the vehicle and soon after another officer joined the pursuit. A short time later, the Sonata drove through a red light at Keele Street and Sheppard Avenue West and struck the front left area of a bus. The occupants of the Sonata, a 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, were taken to hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer in the first cruiser committed a criminal offence in connection with the collision and resulting 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