News Release
No Charges Against OPP Officer in New Tecumseth Crash
Case Number: 21-PVI-314
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that an Ontario Provincial Police officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a collision in which two people suffered serious injuries in New Tecumseth last September.
On September 21, 2021, an officer driving a marked cruiser travelling north on 15th Sideroad entered the intersection of 7th Line with the right of way. A man, driving a Chevrolet Equinox westbound, struck the cruiser. The vehicle had entered the intersection without stopping or slowing down for a stop sign. The male driver and male passenger were taken to hospital. The driver was diagnosed with fractures to his sternum, back and ribs. The passenger fractured his back.
Director Martino concluded that it was apparent that the civilian driver caused the collision by not obeying the stop sign. He noted speed was not a factor. Accordingly, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges against the officer and the file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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