News Release
No Charges Against Officer in Relation to Fatal Peterborough Collision
Case Number: 22-OVD-026
Other News Releases Related to Case 22-OVD-026
SIU Investigating Deaths of Two Men in Collision in Peterborough
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe a Peterborough Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a fatal collision that occurred in January.
In the evening of January 28, 2022, a police officer, while travelling eastward on Lansdowne Street en route to another call for service, had noticed an Infiniti accelerating past their cruiser in the area of the Park Street intersection. Deciding to stop the Infiniti for a traffic infraction, the officer executed a U-turn, activated their emergency lights, and accelerated after the Infiniti. Shortly after, the officer abandoned the pursuit. In the area of Lansdowne Street and Webber Avenue, the Infiniti struck a traffic light signal pole and rear-ended a Nissan Qashqai. Two occupants from the Infiniti – a 38-year-old man and 41-year-old man – were extricated from the vehicle by first responders and sent to hospital. Both were subsequently pronounced deceased.
Director Martino concluded there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer transgressed the limits of care prescribed by the criminal law in their brief engagement with the Infiniti. As there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case, 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