News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Case where Vehicle Plunged into Lake Erie
Case Number: 17-POD-154
Other News Releases Related to Case 17-POD-154
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an incident where a 57-year-old man drove his vehicle into Lake Erie on June 23, 2017. The man’s body was recovered from the lake the following day.
A preliminary investigation found the following:
- In the afternoon hours of Friday, June 23, 2017, an Ontario Provincial Police officer with the Elgin County detachment began following a vehicle of interest that was being operated on Springfield Road.
- When the driver of the vehicle tossed an item from the vehicle, the police officer stopped to retrieve it.
- Meanwhile, the vehicle continued southbound on Springfield Road at a high rate of speed. The vehicle sped past a turnaround, drove into a field and drove off of a cliff and into Lake Erie.
- The police officer that had been following the vehicle appeared at the turnaround several minutes later, and was directed to where the vehicle had gone.
- The man’s body was recovered from the lake the following day.
Director Tony Loparco said, “The man died as a result of injuries consistent with a collision and drowning. Based on the investigation, it is clear that the man drove his vehicle at a high rate of speed across a field and unhesitatingly drove it off the cliff into Lake Erie. The police officer was nowhere near the vehicle when it plunged into the lake. This investigation has been terminated as there is no evidence that the police officer was responsible for the man’s death.”
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