News Release
SIU Discontinues Investigation into Police Cruiser Crash in Barrie
Case Number: 21-PVI-201
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into a report that a man was possibly seriously injured following a motor vehicle crash with an Ontario Provincial Police cruiser.
On June 29, 2021, a man was driving northbound on Highway 400 returning from work. As he approached the Mapleview Drive exit, the man hit the rear of a police cruiser that was stopped on the shoulder, assisting another motorist, with its emergency lights activated.
The SIU’s preliminary inquiries established that the man was not seriously injured in the collision. In the absence of serious injury, Director Joseph Martino concluded the SIU was without statutory jurisdiction to continue its investigation. The file has been closed.
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
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES