Ottawa police officer, 28, killed in motorcycle crash
An Ottawa police officer who died in a motorcycle crash Tuesday night served several years in the Canadian military and joined the police service less than two years ago.
Vijayalayan Mathiyalaghan, 28, was killed in the single-vehicle crash on Tuesday night, CTV News has learned. The crash happened around 8:40 p.m. at the Highway 417-174 split.
"With great sadness, we share that one of our members passed away last evening after a single-vehicle collision," Ottawa police tweeted Wednesday morning. "The incident occurred off duty.”
Mathiyalaghan was hired to the Ottawa Police Service in November 2020 after studying police foundations at Algonquin College, sources told CTV News. He also served several years in the Canadian military.
Colleagues say he was always in a good mood and had an “infectious smile.”
Mathiyalaghan volunteered with the Ottawa Police Hoopstars program. A 2020 Instagram post from the program said he was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Ottawa, was the youngest child in his family, coached youth basketball and was passionate about motorcycles.
"Our police family lost a brother last night," Ottawa Police Association interim president Brian Samuel said in a statement. Mathiyalaghan, he said, "had only been with us a short period but his generosity and good nature have left an indelible impression.
“We mourn the passing of our friend; we will miss his presence. The loss of someone so early in their career – what might he have become, what contributions to our police community would he have made.
"We support our brothers and sisters on A Platoon Central, those from his recent recruit class, and all those who knew him, in the difficulty of this loss."
Flags are at half-mast at all Ottawa police buildings on Wednesday.
The 417 eastbound on-ramp to the 174 was closed for several hours and reopened overnight. Ontario Provincial Police are investigating the crash because it happened on a provincially maintained roadway.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.