News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Whitby Collision
Case Number: 18-OVI-198
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-OVI-198
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into a collision that occurred in July of 2018 in Whitby.
At approximately 1 a.m. on July 4, 2018, Durham Regional Police Service officers noticed that a vehicle traveling eastbound on Dundas Street East was swerving, and as a result, attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The 26-year-old male driver of the vehicle accelerated, and the officers pursued the vehicle with emergency lights activated. The vehicle drove into a gas station located at Dundas Street East and Thickson Road, but then continued eastbound on Dundas Street East. When the driver attempted a left turn to travel northbound on Thornton Road, he lost control of the vehicle and drove into a tree. The man was subsequently arrested and taken to hospital where he was treated for an injury.
SIU investigators attended the man’s residence to obtain an interview, but this was to no avail. The man also did not give consent to the investigators to obtain medical records related to the event. Further attempts were made to get information from the man, but these attempts were unsuccessful.
Director Loparco said, “There is no evidence that police conduct led to the man’s collision. Furthermore, given that the man refused to provide the SIU with a statement or a release of his medical records, a serious injury could not be confirmed. Accordingly, I have terminated the investigation into this incident.”
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