Officer cleared after Bowmanville car crash seriously injures teen

A Durham Regional Police officer is cleared of wrongdoing for a car crash in Bowmanville that left a teenager seriously injured.

Around 3:30 a.m. April 30 DRPS got a call about an attempted home invasion Bowmanville. Four robbers, one armed with a pistol, entered the home and went down to the basement. After exiting the basement they took off in an unplated Nissan Altima.

Responding officers saw the car headed Bowmanville Ave and began to chase it. The Altima drove through two red light as they went. The officer following reported the car had no lights on and was “Bombing through the Canadian Tire plaza.”

The pursuit continued until the Altima crashed into a light pole at the Bowmanville Canadian Tire on 2000 Green Rd.

An 18-year-old man, later dubbed the Complainant, broke his arm in the crash. The other three suspects in the car were unhurt. All four attempted to run from the crash site, but were promptly arrested.

The Complainant complained of a sore arm to the arresting officers. They took him to hospital where the broken arm was diagnosed.

The Special Investigations Unit, which investigates interactions with police that result in injury or death, were called in a couple hours later.

Following an investigation SIU director Joseph Martino concluded there were no grounds to hold the pursuing officer criminally liable for the Complainant’s injury.

The charge up for consideration was dangerous driving causing harm. The fundamental question Martino asked himself was “was there a want of care in the manner in which the [officer] operated his cruiser sufficiently egregious to attract criminal sanction”

“In my view, there was no such want of care,” Martino said. As a result the officer will not face any charges.