No charges laid in suspect pursuit that injured civilian: SIU

A Chrysler Pacifica is seen in the area of Pond Mills Road and Commissioners Road East following a collision on Oct. 24, 2022. (Source: SIU)

A London, Ont. police officer has been cleared of wrongdoing in an October 2022 pursuit in which a suspect driving a stolen vehicle crashed into a civilian vehicle, sending a man to hospital with significant injuries.

According to a release from the province’s Special Investigations Unit, in  the early morning hours of Oct. 24, 2022, London Police Service officers were dispatched for a report of a break and enter. Officers arrived on scene and a van was seen speeding away. 

The Chrysler Pacifica was observed speeding away at a high rate of speed, and an officer then conducted a licence plate check on the van and learned the vehicle had been stolen.

The officer radioed to nearby police officers that the van was headed in their direction. Spike belts were deployed on the road, after which the van travelled over the spike belts, damaging one or both of the passenger side tires.

The SIU said the initial officer continued to follow the stolen van, and a short time later the van struck a Lexus SUV in the area of Pond Mills Road and Commissioners Road East.

The driver of the SUV, a 48-year-old man, was transported to hospital and later diagnosed with fractured ribs and a punctured lung.

Following the investigation, SIU Director Joseph Martino "determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the collision and the man’s injuries.”

As a result, there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges and the file has been closed by the SIU.

The SIU is an independent authority responsible for investigating the conduct of officials, such as police, that resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault, or the discharge of a weapon at another person.