News Release
No Charges Against Durham Police Officer in Clarington Crash
Case Number: 21-OVI-258
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OVI-258
SIU Investigating Police Vehicle, Motorcycle Crash in Clarington
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Durham Regional Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a collision that resulted in serious injuries to a motorcyclist and his passenger in Clarington last August.
In the evening of August 15, 2021, the officer was responding to a non-emergency call when he stopped at a four-way stop on Nash Road at Green Road. As the officer proceeded to enter the intersection travelling westbound, the front end of his SUV collided with a southbound motorcycle. The motorcyclist, travelling south on Green Road approaching the Nash Road intersection, had pulled into the northbound lane to pass an SUV stopped at the stop sign in front of him. Once he passed the SUV and entered the intersection, the motorcyclist collided with the cruiser.
The officer assisted the 46-year-old motorcyclist and his 17-year-old passenger, and called an ambulance. They were taken to hospital where their serious injuries, including multiple fractures, were diagnosed.
Director Martino concluded that there was nothing that the officer could have done to prevent the collision, and that there were no reasonable grounds to believe the officer comported himself without due care and regard for public safety. As such, the file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1597
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