News Release

News Release

SIU Investigating Collision in London

Case Number: 19-PVI-175   

Other News Releases Related to Case 19-PVI-175

Officer Faces Charges in Relation to London Collision between Police Vehicle and Taxi Cab that Injured Mother and Daughter

Mississauga, ON (29 July, 2019) ---
The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the serious injuries sustained by a 9-year-old girl and a 27-year-old woman yesterday in London.
 
Preliminary information suggests the following:
  • In the afternoon hours of July 28, 2019, Sarnia Police Service officers began following a vehicle believed to have been involved in an armed robbery at a bank in Sarnia.
  • When the vehicle reached Highway 402, the Ontario Provincial Police became involved and continued following the vehicle as it entered London. 
  • At approximately 5 p.m., at the intersection of Southdale Road East and Verulam Street, one of the involved police vehicles became involved in a collision with a taxi cab. The two passengers – a 9-year-old girl and a 27-year-old woman – were transported to hospital for treatment, and they remain in hospital in critical condition. The taxi cab driver was also taken to hospital.
  • Two individuals from the vehicle of interest were later arrested.

Four investigators, two forensic investigators and one collision reconstructionist have been assigned to this incident. At this time, one subject officer and one witness officer from the OPP Middlesex County detachment have been designated.
 
The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529. The Unit is also urging anyone who may have any video evidence related to this incident to upload that video through the SIU website.

If you or someone you know has been negatively affected by an incident under SIU investigation and would like support, the Affected Persons Program is here to help. You can reach us at 1-877-641-1897. Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7, every day of the year.

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (municipal, regional and provincial police officers, police officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, 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

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