News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Traffic Death in Hamilton
Case Number: 09-OVD-072
Other News Releases Related to Case 09-OVD-072
The SIU assigned four investigators and three forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this occurrence.
The SIU investigation determined that on March 28, 2009 shortly after 8:00 p.m. an HPS officer decided to stop a car that was westbound on King Street for a Highway Traffic Act offence. The officer activated his police car’s emergency lights. The driver of the car, 45 year old Terry Ritchie of Hamilton, did not stop for the officer. Instead Mr. Ritchie accelerated away. He drove through a red light at the intersection of Wellington Street North and Wilson Street and collided with a southbound minivan. The pursuit was short with the entire event lasting approximately thirty seconds. The passenger in Mr. Ritchie’s vehicle, his daughter Natasha Ritchie, sustained fatal injuries in the crash. Mr. Ritchie sustained numerous fractures.
Director Scott said, "The subject officer had the right to stop Mr. Ritchie’s vehicle pursuant to s. 216 of the Highway Traffic Act. He further had the right to enter into a pursuit for the failure of the vehicle to stop for the purpose of driver identification under the ‘Suspect Apprehension Pursuit Regulations’ to the Police Services Act. The driver of the pursued vehicle chose to enter an intersection against a red light and was the sole cause of this tragic accident.” Director Scott added, “I have no reasonable grounds to believe that the subject officer committed any Criminal Code driving offences while engaging in the lawful execution of his duties in attempting to stop the Ritchie vehicle."
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