Ontario’s police oversight agency has wrapped up its inquiry into a deadly single-vehicle accident in south Ottawa but discovered “evidence of misconduct” by officers who responded to the scene yet did not locate the driver’s body until the next day.
On Monday, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) stated that its director, Joseph Martino, had concluded the investigation into the death of a 24-year-old man on January 23. CBC identified the individual as Cole Misner, age 24.
The SIU reported that Misner had a blood-alcohol level exceeding twice the legal limit when he lost control of his Dodge Caravan and crashed into a ditch on Bank Street near Morningside Avenue around 8:20 p. m.
The southbound vehicle was reportedly going about 170 km/h in a 60 km/h zone just five seconds prior to the collision.
“The man was ejected from the vehicle and suffered catastrophic injuries that resulted in his death,” according to the SIU’s statement.
A passing motorist called 911 at 9:43, more than an hour after the crash occurred. Ottawa police were dispatched thirty minutes later, and after inspecting the unoccupied vehicle and surrounding area, they departed around 11 p. m., as noted by the SIU.
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Body Discovered Next Day
The next morning, following Misner’s wife reporting he hadn’t returned home from work that evening, police revisited the scene where an officer “located the man’s body partially buried in the snow-covered ditch several metres from the Caravan,” according to SIU information. An autopsy indicated that “multiple blunt force injuries” caused his death and confirmed he would have already been deceased when first responders arrived, as per SIU’s investigation which included reviewing video evidence. “On this record, there being no reason to believe that any officer caused or contributed to the man’s death, the SIU was without statutory jurisdiction to investigate the incident,” concluded the agency. Nonetheless, Martino “identified what appeared to be evidence of misconduct by officers who initially attended at scene regarding their investigation of collision, in contravention of section 19 of Police Code of Conduct,” and will refer this matter to Ottawa’s police chief along with Ontario’s Law Enforcement Complaints Agency, formerly known as Office of Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD). Section 19 of Police Code of Conduct states that “a police officer shall not, by act or omission, fail to perform their duties appropriately without lawful excuse if at time they know or reasonably ought to know their act or omission would amount to failure perform their duties appropriately.”Source link
