SIRT clears Cape Breton police following fatal crash
Police watchdog says officers abandoned chase long before fleeing vehicle crashed into a house while speeding
Nova Scotia's Serious Incident Response Team has cleared Cape Breton Regional Police after a fatal crash in Sydney this summer.
On July 6, officers had been trying to stop a vehicle that appeared to be stolen, when the driver took off.
According to a news release Tuesday from SIRT, investigators say police gave chase with lights and sirens going, but they abandoned pursuit on the advice of a supervisor.
Moments later, the vehicle was found crashed into a house on George Street where it meets Byng Avenue.
No one in the house was injured, but the driver and two passengers were sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and a 44-year-old passenger died.
Because of the death, Cape Breton police asked SIRT to investigate.
The police watchdog said evidence showed the officers abandoned the chase well before the fleeing vehicle failed to corner and crashed into the house while speeding.
SIRT said as a result, there are no grounds to consider changes against the police.
The driver is due in court in March, facing charges of dangerous driving causing bodily harm and dangerous driving causing death, as well as criminal negligence causing bodily harm and criminal negligence causing death.
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