News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Male Driver Injured After Being Struck by Toronto Police Cruiser
Case Number: 24-TVI-144
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe Toronto Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a collision that seriously injured a 61-year-old man. On March 29, 2024, an officer pursued a Mazda and truck at Finch Avenue West and Humberline Drive as he believed the vehicles were involved in the theft of machinery from a nearby business.
The officer failed to stop at a red light, despite being required to and further he accelerated through the intersection without ensuring traffic in all directions had fully yielded. The officer struck a Mercedes Sprinter van that had entered the intersection on a greenlight. The man was taken to hospital and diagnosed with two fractured vertebrae.
Director Martino found the officer was not as careful as he should have been, but concluded his conduct fell short of transgressing the limits of care prescribed by the criminal law.
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