The mother and father of a three-month-old boy who died in a crash on Freeway 401 in Whitby this week have been additionally within the automotive on the time of the wreck, Ontario’s police watchdog says.
The Particular Investigations Unit (SIU) mentioned in an replace Thursday the mother and father – a 33-year-old father and 27-year-old mom, who reside in Ajax – have been each taken to hospital, and the mom was handled for critical accidents.
The child’s grandparents, a 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman, additionally died within the crash. They have been visiting from India, the SIU added.
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SIU known as in after deadly police pursuit involving dying of toddler, grandparents on Freeway 401
The crash, which befell Monday night, stemmed from an LCBO theft in Clarington, Ont., that noticed Durham Regional Cops chasing the suspect on the mistaken aspect of the freeway.
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The SIU, which investigates the conduct of officers in critical incidents, together with people who have resulted in dying, is now probing the incident.
The incident started at round 7:50 p.m. Monday when Durham cops have been notified by an off-duty officer of a theft on the LCBO.
Officers discovered a automobile of curiosity — a U-Haul cargo van — and adopted the van by means of quite a few streets in Durham “as the vehicle drove erratically,” SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon mentioned Tuesday.
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SIU investigating Freeway 401 crash that left 4 lifeless, together with toddler
She mentioned the automobile bought on Freeway 401 at Stevenson Highway in Oshawa within the mistaken course and was travelling westbound within the eastbound lanes.
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Video circulating on-line confirmed a minimum of one Durham police cruiser chasing the van heading the mistaken means on Freeway 401.
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Hudon mentioned shortly after, at round 8:10 p.m., there was a multi-vehicle collision involving a minimum of six automobiles simply east of Freeway 412 in Whitby.
A 21-year-old man, who the SIU mentioned was driving the U-Haul van, died on the scene whereas a 38-year-old man, who was a passenger, was taken to hospital with critical accidents.
Legislation requires police to weigh public dangers in automotive chases: lawyer
Daniel Brown, a Toronto-based legal defence lawyer, informed The Canadian Press earlier this week police in Ontario are required by legislation to weigh dangers to the general public earlier than participating in a high-speed chase.
“And this law requires the police to disengage when the risks outweigh the rewards,” he mentioned.
Brown mentioned police additionally want to think about options obtainable earlier than beginning a high-speed pursuit of a automobile and want to think about the suspect and the type of alleged crime concerned.
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Within the case of what occurred Monday evening, on condition that the alleged crime was a liquor retailer theft, Brown argued that police “put everyone in harm’s way by engaging this particular pursuit on one of Canada’s busiest highways.”
“They simply either underestimated the risk to the public or failed to consider the risk to the public when they engaged in this high-speed chase,” he mentioned.
“It’s a tragic situation and this is something that could have been entirely prevented.”
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Former Toronto cop weighs in on Freeway 401 crash, police coverage round chases
Ontario Chronicle crime analyst Hank Idsinga mentioned on Tuesday that “a lot has to be really dissected by the SIU for this case.”
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“Had any emergency equipment been activated? Was there an attempt to stop it and it failed to stop? We just don’t know that yet,” he mentioned.
“There’s no doubt once it was on the 401, definitely a pursuit was engaged. We’ve seen the footage from it with the suspect vehicle going along the 401 at an extremely high rate of speed, and police vehicles following shortly after with their lights and sirens going.”
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A part of Freeway 401 closed after lethal crash in Durham Area
Durham police mentioned in an announcement Tuesday the service was restricted in what it may possibly say because of the SIU investigation.
“This incident has had a profound impact on our community and our members,” the assertion mentioned.
“We understand there are many questions, however there is a legislated process regarding investigations conducted by the SIU that our service must adhere to. DRPS is fully cooperating with the SIU and as such are unable to make a public statement on this incident.”
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Anybody who could have details about the investigation, together with video or photographs, is requested to contact the SIU.
— with recordsdata from Ryan Rocca and Gabby Rodrigues
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