An investigation by Ontario’s Special Investigation has cleared an Ottawa officer of any wrongdoing today in connection to a fatal crash last October.

SIU director Tony Loparco says there are no “reasonable grounds” to charge the officer with a criminal offence.

A 53-year-old man died when the car he was driving was hit by a Honda Civic being pursued by police just before 4 a.m. Oct. 2, 2013.

The investigation found that the officer twas driving a marked vehicle eastbound on Laurier Avenue, that day, when it spotted the Honda Civic traveling in the opposite direction at high speeds. SIU investigators say the officer activated her lights, made a U-turn and followed the Honda.

It has been concluded that the driver of the Honda did not stop and collided with a Kia Rondo traveling south on Bank Street. The driver of the Kia Rondo is the fatal victim.

“Evidence collected by the SIU indicated that the subject officer’s cruiser was slowing down and no closer than approximately 200 metres from the collision between the Honda Civic and the Kia Rondo. As such, in my view there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the subject officer committed a criminal offence in relation to the fatal collision between the Honda Civic and the Kia Rondo,” said Loparco.

The Special Investigation’s Unit defines itself as “an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.”