The province's police watchdog says it will not charge an OPP officer after a man was seriously injured in a crash in Penetanguishene last November.
The Special Investigations Unit says an OPP officer was conducting radar enforcement on Fuller Avenue at around 5 p.m. on November 8, 2015 and attempted to follow a truck.
Shortly after, the SIU says the truck swerved into the southbound lane of Fuller Avenue, almost struck a vehicle, then swerved back into the northbound lane before it collided with a pole and a tree.
The 20-year-old man was taken to hospital and later airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre with serious injuries and kept in intensive care for several days.
The officer provided a copy of their duty notes, but did not submit to an interview with the SIU, as is their legal right.
The SIU said the complainant also refused to provide a statement.
“For all intents and purposes, the subject officer’s engagement with the man’s pickup truck was over before it began," said Acting Director Joseph Martin.
Martino said the officer had travelled no more than about a kilometer, trying to close the gap with the truck, when the collision occurred.
"The GPS data indicates the officer’s cruiser reached speeds as high as 129 km/h during this brief period, there is no evidence that the officer was anywhere near the man’s vehicle at any time, or that the officer’s driving endangered other motorists in the vicinity," he said.
The SIU determined that it's not even clear that the man was aware of the officer’s presence behind him and that the officer was in the lawful execution of their duty at the time.
“In the final analysis, it is evident on this record that the officer exercised a reasonable level of care at all times. Accordingly, there are no grounds for charges in this case and the file is closed.”
