Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has ruled that Sarnia police did not cause or contribute to a motorcycle crash that resulted in a man breaking his arm.
At about 3:20 a.m. September 11, 2019, city police received a report that a black Kawasaki had been stolen from a George Street address.
The SIU said there was no pursuit after two officers in separate police vehicles tried to stop the motorcycle, and it later crashed at Campbell Street at the on-ramp to Indian Road. The operator, a 35-year-old man, was thrown from the bike, breaking his right arm.
A team of seven SIU investigators including a collision reconstructionist was assigned to the case.
The reconstructionist concluded that the cause of the crash was excessive speed, estimated at between 75 kilometres per hour and 89 kilometres per hour as the motorcycle approached the ramp to travel southbound on Indian Road. Footage from cameras in the area showed no police vehicles in view at the time of the crash and did not support allegations that a police cruiser crossed into the path of the motorcycle causing the operator to lose control.
SIU Director Joseph Martino determined that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer either caused or contributed to the collision or otherwise drove dangerously in violation of the Criminal Code.
The full SIU report can be found here.
The SIU is a civilian law enforcement agency that investigates incidents involving police officers where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.
