SIU concludes Ottawa police officers won't face charges after police pursuit ends before east end crash
Ontario's police watchdog says two Ottawa police officers will not face charges in connection to a police pursuit that ended in a crash at an east end intersection, leaving a 28-year-old woman with serious injuries.
The Special Investigations Unit concluded the police pursuit was called off "well before" the suspect driver ran a red light and collided with the woman's vehicle.
The collision occurred on May 22 at the intersection of Ogilvie Road and Cyrville Road. The SIU says the woman's vehicle was struck at the intersection by a driver who had earlier been under pursuit by two police cruisers.
In a report released late Friday afternoon, the SIU says the officers pulled over a Mercedes Benz on Donald Street for a possible Highway Traffic Act violation after noticing the vehicle "had deeply tinted windows preventing the officers from seeing inside."
The SIU says when the officers observed a transparent baggie in the vehicle passenger's possession they suspected was cannabis, they asked the driver to turn off the engine, and asked both people to exit the vehicle.
SIU Director Joseph Martino says the driver turned off the engine, turned it back on, "uttering Sorry" and sped away.
Martino says officers chased the vehicle, reaching speeds of 100 km/h. The report says a staff sergeant monitoring the chase ordered officers to end the pursuit before the crash. The SIU says witnesses reported the suspect vehicle ran a red light at the intersection of Cyrville and Ogilvie and collided with another vehicle.
On Friday, the SIU said there was "No reasonable grounds to believe the two Ottawa Police Service officers committed a criminal offence" in connection with the serious injuries suffered by the woman in the crash.
"Director Martino concluded that the police pursuit had ended well before the driver entered the intersection on a red light and caused a collision," said the SIU in a statement.
"Accordingly, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case and the file has been closed."
Both officers declined to be interviewed by the SIU as part of the investigation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.