New Details Emerge in Police Report on Fiery Wrong-Way Crash on Hwy 401

July 25, 2024 TruthUSA

The Durham Regional Police have released new details about the April wrong-way police pursuit of a robbery suspect on Highway 401 in Ontario that culminated in a fatal multi-vehicle crash that left a baby and his grandparents dead.

A report to the Durham Regional Police Service Board provides the most detailed timeline of the April 29 events disclosed by police to date.

The officers involved in the evening chase “lost sight” of the U-Haul van driven by the man accused of robbing an LCBO, according to the June 18 report. The cargo van was spotted not long after in Oshawa, Ont.

“The suspect vehicle struck a cruiser and entered eastbound Highway 401, traveling in the opposite direction of traffic,” said the report written by Durham Regional Police Insp. Doris Carriere.

“Officers re-engaged and pursued the suspect vehicle onto eastbound Highway 401, traveling westbound.”

Not long afterward, the U-Haul was involved in a multi-vehicle collision, killing 3-month-old Aditya Vivaan, his 60-year-old grandfather Manivannan Srinivasapillai, and his 55-year-old grandmother Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan.

At least six vehicles, including a semi-trailer, were involved in the fiery Whitby, Ont., crash that also killed the 21-year-old male driver and seriously injured his 38-year-old male passenger.

The high-speed pursuit came about after the suspect was alleged to have pulled a knife on an off-duty Durham Regional Police officer who intervened to prevent a robbery at the LCBO in Clarington, Ont., the report said. The officer, who called for help, told dispatch the suspect had fled in a U-Haul van travelling west on Regional Highway 2.

“The off-duty officer strategically followed the suspect vehicle and disengaged when officers in marked cruisers caught up to the suspect vehicle,” Insp. Carriere wrote.

Videos of the pursuit posted on social media at the time show the chase headed along the highway in the wrong direction, causing many to debate whether the pursuit should have been called off.

Durham Regional Police Service posted a statement on its website the day after the fatal crash.

“This incident has had a profound impact on our community and our members,” the April 30 statement reads. “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.”

Police officers and emergency dispatchers in Durham Region were instructed in May to complete a mandatory training course on suspect pursuits.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.

Source link