Photo courtesy of the Special Investigations Unit of a crash involving an OPP vehicle December 23, 2017. Photo courtesy of the Special Investigations Unit of a crash involving an OPP vehicle December 23, 2017.
Windsor

OPP officer cleared in Hwy. 401 crash

The director of the Special Investigations Unit has found no reasonable grounds to charge an Ontario Provincial Police officer after a serious crash on Highway 401 over a year ago.

Back on December 23, 2017, an OPP officer was on patrol just after 9:30 a.m. when he found a Ford F-150 in the ditch along the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 near Comber Road.

The owner of the pick-up called for a tow truck which arrived just before 1 p.m.

The attending officer parked on the right shoulder and was helping the tow truck driver when a second officer arrived and parked his vehicle with the lights flashing about 300 metres behind the first cruiser.

Almost two hours later, a Volkswagon smashed into the back of the second police vehicle with the officer inside.

The driver said he got an eyelash in his eye and was trying to clear it. He had closed his eyes momentarily when he veered to the right and into the police vehicle.

The force of the impact injured the police officer and three passengers in the Volkswagon. One passenger suffered abdominal trauma from the seatbelt, a second suffered rib fractures and abdominal injuries, and a third fractured their sternum.

The report from SIU Director Tony Loparco found the driver at fault in the crash.

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