Ontario's police watchdog has ruled no criminal offence took place after a man was seriously injured in a crash while fleeing from police on Highway 3 in Essex County last December.
According to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), on December 1o at around 4:11 a.m., Windsor police requested the OPP's assistance in locating two vehicles that were involved in ongoing criminal offences throughout the city.
OPP members from the Essex detachment located the vehicles the were involved and initiated a pursuit.
According to the report, officers deployed a tire deflation device on one of the vehicles but it was ineffective and the pursuit ended.
After the vehicles were located again, one of the suspect vehicles collided with an OPP vehicle, causing minor damage, and then fled the scene of the collision.
The SIU said at 1:30 a.m., a second tire deflation device was deployed on the other suspect vehicle. The driver attempted to avoid the device and ended up leaving the roadway.
The vehicle drove into a ditch on Highway 3 between Cameron Side Road and Marsh Side Road in Kingsville.
The driver was ejected from the vehicle.
The SIU said the suspect was transported to Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital by EMS with neck and back injuries. The suspect was diagnosed with a fractured nose and back.
Following an investigation into the incident, SIU Director Joesph Martino said he has found no reasonable grounds to believe the OPP officer committed a crime in connection with the serious injuries suffered by a 28-year-old man.
The file is now closed.
A full version of the report can be found on the SIU’s website.
