News Release
No Charges in Police-Involved Wrong-Way Crash with Motorcycle in Toronto
Case Number: 21-TVI-152
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Toronto Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a collision in which two people suffered serious injuries.
On the evening of May 13, 2021, the driver of a Toronto Police Service SUV travelled the wrong way on a one-way street and collided with a motorcycle at Birmingham Street and Sixth Street in Toronto. The motorcycle riders were taken to hospital via ambulance. The driver of the motorcycle suffered multiple fractures and serious injuries to his internal organs. A woman, the passenger, was diagnosed with several fractures and a head injury.
Director Martino acknowledged that the officer failed in his duty of care to other motorists and was directly responsible for the collision that seriously injured two people.
However, he was not reasonably satisfied that the officer’s failures were of a magnitude warranting criminal sanction. Director Martino noted that there was no indication of any excessive speed on the part of the officer as he travelled toward Birmingham Street nor of any other dangerous driving behaviour.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1543
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