No charges in accident involving police cruiser: SIU

No charges in accident involving police cruiser: SIU

No charges will be laid in the death of a motorcyclist who collided with a Peel Regional Police cruiser, Ontario’s Special Investigation Unit announced Friday.

A report released by the SIU concluded there were no reasonable grounds to charge the officer involved, stating he was following procedure during the accident.

On Sept. 3, 2010, Thomas Burns, 65, of Bramton, was thrown from his motorcycle after colliding with a police cruiser blocking traffic on Hurontario Street.

Burns was taken to Sunnybrook Hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries.

An SIU investigation determined that the officer involved had been asked to block southbound traffic on Hurontario Street during an investigation into a nearby traffic collision.

The investigation found that the cruiser was marked with reflective tape with its emergency lights activated.

Burns drove his motorcycle into the cruiser without slowing down, the release stated.

“In my view, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the subject officer committed a criminal offence in relation to the death of Mr. Burns,” Scott said in the release.

The SIU is an arms-length agency that investigates incidents where police are involved in death, injury or allegations of sex assault.