The Special Investigations Unit has determined there is no basis for criminal charges against a London, Ont., police officer who crashed into another vehicle on his way to hospital, leaving an 83-year-old woman with multiple broken ribs.
The accident occurred on February 6 at the intersection of Horton Street and Wharncliffe Road South. The officer Southern Illinois University said she was responding to an emergency call about a baby not breathing.
The Special Investigations Unit said the officer did not come to a complete stop before entering the intersection, but his emergency lights and sirens were on, and the officer slowed down to a “near stop” before entering the intersection and collided with the driver's side of a Chevrolet Cruze driven by an 83-year-old woman. The Special Investigations Unit report said the woman was traveling about 60 km/h and entered the intersection on a green light.
The officer’s vehicle after the Feb. 6, 2024, collision.
Southern Illinois University
The officer stopped the police car and went to check on the woman, who was initially believed to be uninjured. However, the SIU said she went to Victoria Hospital as a precaution and was diagnosed with broken ribs.
“Why the two parties did not see each other until it was too late can only be speculated, but it was likely due to obstructed vision caused by landmarks and traffic in and around the intersection,” Supervisor Joseph Martino wrote in the report.
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“Based on this record, the best that can be said is that the collision was caused by a moment of negligence. Case law makes it clear that this does not generally give rise to liability.”
As a result, Martino determined the charges were without merit and the case was closed.
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