May crash investigation dropped in Whitby

The investigation into a police-involved car crash in Whitby has been formally dropped.

The Special Investigations Unit launched an investigation on May 19. That evening, an OPP officer was on patrol in the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 when they noticed a speeding vehicle.

The officer switched on their lights and sirens to pull the car over by Thickson Road. Initially, the car did so. However, as the officer exited their cruiser to approach they instead sped off eastbound.

The cop did not pursue the car but called in on the radio to report what happened. Moments later, the SIU said, the car lost control on the Stevenson Road off-ramp in Oshawa.

The driver hit the off-ramp guardrail and stopped. All four occupants were seriously hurt and required treatment in hospital.

After reviewing the evidence of the crash, including video footage, SIU Director Joseph Martino decided to drop the investigation. He found, ” it was evident that the officer did nothing that could conceivably attract criminal liability in connection with the collision,” the SIU wrote.