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An Ontario Provincial Police officer was not at fault in a November crash that left another man with a neck fracture, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has determined.
SIU director Joseph Martino says he found no reasonable grounds to believe the OPP officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the collision, which involved a pickup truck and an police SUV in Essa Township.
Shortly before 10 a.m. on Nov. 23, 2021, the SIU says the officer was westbound on the 20th Sideroad, within the speed limit, when he entered the 10th Line intersection with the right-of-way. His vehicle was struck by a Ford F-150 as it travelled north into his path.
The officer and the pickup truck driver were both taken to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie by land ambulance.
Provincial police contacted the SIU at 11:23 a.m.
The driver of the pickup, who was driving to work when the crash happened, was diagnosed with a fracture to the cervical vertebra in his neck. The truck's airbags had deployed and the driver’s seat-belt was not engaged, according to the SIU.
Civilians who came across the crash called for emergency services to be sent to the scene. One woman said the officer was out of his vehicle and "not OK." Another caller said the police vehicle was in the ditch; the officer's glasses came off his face due to the force of the impact and he was unable to find them. He was able to crawl out from under the airbag.
The other driver had head injuries and was on the ground in the snow. His vehicle had come to rest in a farmer's field.
The SIU said the crash scene was flat and the roads were snow-covered. The 10th Line was a two-lane road with single lanes for northbound and southbound traffic, and had a posted speed limit of 80 km/h. The 20th Sideroad was a two-lane road with single lanes for westbound and eastbound traffic, and had a posted speed limit of 80 km/h. The intersection was controlled by stop signs for northbound and southbound traffic on 10th Line.
Raw data from the pickup truck indicated: "At five seconds before the collision, the Ford F-150 travelled at 34 km/h. At four seconds before the collision, that Ford F-150 travelled at 29 km/h. At three seconds before the collision, the Ford F-150 travelled at 25 km/h. At two seconds before the collision, the Ford F-150 travelled at 25 km/h. The brake was then disengaged and, at one second before the collision, the Ford F-150 travelled at 27 km/h. At the time of impact, the Ford F-150 travelled at 39 km/h with 18.8 per cent of full throttle and the RPMs at 1,622."
Data from the OPP's Ford Explorer showed the airbags had deployed and the driver’s seat-belt was engaged. The information also indicated: "At five seconds before the collision, the Ford Explorer travelled at 77 km/h. At four seconds before the collision, the Ford Explorer travelled at 77 km/h. At three seconds before the collision, the Ford Explorer travelled at 77 km/h. At two seconds before the collision, the Ford Explorer travelled at 77 km/h. At one second before the collision, the Ford Explorer travelled at 68 km/h. At the time of impact (0 seconds), the Ford Explorer travelled at 60 km/h, and the throttle was at zero per cent."
At 11:55 a.m., the OPP called the SIU again and advised that the injuries to the police officer and the other driver were considered minor, and both drivers were to be discharged.
At 2:52 p.m., the OPP contacted the SIU for a third time and relayed information that X-rays had shown the pickup driver suffered a minor neck fracture.
Martino concluded there was no evidence to suggest the officer had acted without due care or regard for public safety.
"On my assessment of the evidence, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the (officer) committed a criminal offence in connection with the collision," he said in his final report.
"The evidence further establishes that the (officer) entered the intersection of 10th Line with the right-of-way and had little to no time to react to avoid a collision when the (driver of the) pickup truck travelled north into his path," Martino added. "Conversely, the evidence strongly suggests that the (pickup truck driver) entered the intersection without stopping at the stop sign for northbound traffic on 10th Line at 20th Sideroad, and that he failed to wait, as he was required, for traffic to clear before continuing on his way."
The file has been closed.
The provincial agency investigates reports of death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault involving police officers.
