Ontario's law enforcement oversight agency has cleared Windsor police of wrongdoing after a cyclist was seriously injured.
The incident took place on the afternoon of April 6, in the area of Assumption Street and Glengarry Avenue. The cyclist, a 46-year-old man, was riding his bicycle northbound in an alley towards Assumption.
According to the report that was released on Friday by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the cyclist went onto Assumption without slowing down or stopping, and was struck by a Windsor police cruiser that was travelling eastbound.
The cyclist was treated in hospital for a broken collarbone, fractured left finger, left hip, and a rib.
SIU Director Joseph Martino wrote that there was no indication that the officer would have been able to stop in time, and no basis for criminal charges.
"The [officer] had only travelled about 90 metres from the moment he left the police station until the point of impact with the complainant," wrote Martino. "During that brief period, there is no indication of any substandard driving behaviour by the officer. Rather, the collision seems the unfortunate result of the complainant failing to check for approaching traffic before entering onto Assumption Street from the alley."
