The Particular Investigations Unit is invoking its mandate after the tragic crash on Monday evening following a police chase that resulted within the demise of two grandparents and an toddler on Freeway 401 in Whitby.
The chase, which started in Clarington after the Durham Regional Police Service was alerted to an LCBO theft in progress by an off-duty police officer, resulted in a cargo van being pushed westbound within the eastbound lanes of the 401 as police pursued the driving force. The driving force of the cargo van and a 60-year-old, 55-year-old and toddler had been all killed within the crash, which befell simply west of the Henry Avenue overpass.
Monica Hudon, SIU spokesperson, stated DRPS officers had been alerted to “a theft at an LCBO in Clarington” at 7:50 p.m. final evening. The crash occurred at 8:10 p.m.
She stated officers from the DRPS made their solution to the scene and situated “a car of curiosity, a cargo van. Officers adopted the cargo van via quite a few streets in Durham Area. At Stevenson Street, the cargo van entered the 401, travelling within the improper route, travelling westbound within the eastbound lanes. Shortly after there was a multi-vehicle collision involving no less than six autos.”
Hudon confirmed the deaths of the 4 individuals on the scene and stated one different individual was taken to hospital with critical accidents.
She did verify that an off-duty officer was on the LCBO in Clarington on the time of the theft.
“The knowledge that I’ve is that it was an off-duty officer on the LCBO who turned conscious of the theft and relayed that to DRPS, who then dispatched investigators to the scene.”
Hudon stated the SIU at present has assigned 5 investigators to the incident and one forensic investigator, in addition to one crash reconstructionist.
Requested if, at any time, the pursuit of the cargo van was known as off, Hudon stated that might be a part of the SIU’s investigation.
“Each scenario is completely different and, as a part of the SIU’s investigation, we’re going to look into the pursuit, when it began, the place it began, what transpired, what made up the pursuit, and having a look at insurance policies and issues like that. We’ll be getting communications, recordings, interviews, to determine when and why,” she stated.
She added that “The investigation is in its early, early levels and I’m not able to take a position as to what could or could not have occurred or what was or what was not acceptable. The SIU will conduct a radical investigation which is able to contain many interviews with many individuals and the examination of quite a lot of proof and paperwork and insurance policies to find out what occurred and what must be performed subsequent. So, a radical investigation must happen earlier than the director actually makes any selections.”
Hudon appealed for data, asking people to name 1-800-787-8529 or go to www.siu.on.ca and share with any images or movies relating to the incident.
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