News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Police Pursuit, Crash in Wasaga Beach
Case Number: 22-PVI-160
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 the serious injuries suffered by a 23-year-old man in a collision while fleeing police in Wasaga Beach.
On June 25, 2022, the man collided into the back of a stopped vehicle on Main Street. He left the scene of the crash and sped southbound on Mosley Street. An officer spotted the driver and pursued him. He fled from police and bypassed a roadblock. The man drove into oncoming traffic, ran a red light, and crashed into an eastbound vehicle. The man fled on foot and was arrested in the area of 42nd Street South and Meadowlark Boulevard. Paramedics transported the man to hospital where he was treated for a fractured femur and hip as a result of the crash.
Director Martino was unable to reasonably conclude that the officer’s driving amounted to a marked departure from a reasonable standard of care, leaving no basis for proceeding with criminal charges.
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.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES