Two police officers from Durham will face trial related to a tragic multi-vehicle accident that took place in April 2024, resulting in the deaths of four individuals, including two grandparents and their infant grandchild. This incident occurred after police pursued a suspect driving against traffic on Canada’s busiest highway.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) of Ontario, which looks into fatalities involving law enforcement, charged Sgt. Richard Flynn and Const. Brandon Hamilton in January 2025 with three counts each of criminal negligence causing death and two counts each for criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
During a court appearance on Friday, Justice Craig Brannagan determined that there is sufficient admissible evidence for a jury to potentially find that the officers significantly contributed to the victims’ deaths.
This hearing does not decide if the officers are guilty; it simply means they will be tried in court.
The collision occurred on April 29, 2024, when police decided to chase a suspect involved in a liquor store robbery who was going the wrong way on Highway 401 in Whitby.
The pursuit ended with an accident involving at least six vehicles, as reported by the SIU.
In one car involved, Gokulnath Manivannan and his wife Ashwitha Jawahar were the only survivors. Their three-month-old son, Aditya, along with Manivannan’s parents – Manivannan Srinivasapillai and Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan – lost their lives in the crash.
Manivannan noted that his parents had just arrived from Chennai, India, two days before this tragic event, according to a statement he made in May 2024.
The suspect tied to the liquor store robbery also died in this crash.
In October, Manivannan, Jawahar, and two other family members filed a $25 million lawsuit against the involved officers, the police board, and the estate of the suspect.
A statement included with their lawsuit claims that the suspect – who collided with their vehicle – drove with “wanton disregard” for others’ safety on Highway 401.It further states that the officers “exercised negligent and reckless judgment” by pursuing this suspect.Durham Regional Police Association President Andrew Tummonds attended Friday’s hearing but chose not to comment.Lawyers Lawrence Gridin representing Flynn and Sandy Khehra representing Hamilton mentioned it may take several months before a trial date is established but did not offer any further comments.
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A statement included with their lawsuit claims that the suspect – who collided with their vehicle – drove with “wanton disregard” for others’ safety on Highway 401.It further states that the officers “exercised negligent and reckless judgment” by pursuing this suspect.Durham Regional Police Association President Andrew Tummonds attended Friday’s hearing but chose not to comment.Lawyers Lawrence Gridin representing Flynn and Sandy Khehra representing Hamilton mentioned it may take several months before a trial date is established but did not offer any further comments.
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