SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT
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The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating a collision that occurred this afternoon in Niagara Falls.
Preliminary information suggests the following:
- In the early afternoon hours of June 27, 2019, an Ontario Provincial Police officer began following a vehicle of interest southbound on Drummond Road. Earlier, there had been complaints regarding how the vehicle was being operated.
- In the area of Drummond Road and Symmes Street, the vehicle of interest left the roadway, struck a parked vehicle and then crashed into a business located at 6293 Drummond Rd.
- As a result of the collision, a 34-year-old woman who had been in the building sustained serious injuries. She was transported to hospital for treatment. Another individual in the building sustained minor injuries.
- The driver of the vehicle did not sustain any serious injuries. She was arrested on the premises.
Three investigators, two forensic investigators and one collision reconstructionist have been assigned to this incident. At this time, one subject officer and two witness officers have been designated.
The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about what transpired on Drummond Road – and leading up to the collision – to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529. The Unit is also urging anyone who may have any video evidence related to this incident to upload that video through the SIU website.
The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault. Under the Police Services Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether an officer has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, lay a criminal charge against the officer if appropriate or close the file without any charges being laid
- report the results of any investigations to the Attorney General.
