SIU clears Toronto police officer in collision with cyclist

Ontario's police watchdog has cleared a Toronto cop of any wrongdoing in a collision that left a 31-year-old cyclist with life-threatening injuries.

Joseph Martino, director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), said in a report Monday there was no evidence the officer was driving his cruiser in an unlawfully careless manner when he collided with the cyclist on the evening of Feb. 4.

The officer and his partner were responding to a call for service at Castle Frank subway station on Bloor Street E. around 6:30 p.m.

He was making a left-hand turn from Bloor into the station when he collided with the cyclist, who was westbound on an e-bike in a designated bicycle lane. The emergency lights on the cruiser were not activated at the time.

In his report, Martino said the cruiser was travelling at an "unremarkable" speed and came to a stop before it made contact with the e-bike. He said evidence suggested the cyclist may have been able to avoid the collision if he had "maneuvered to his right."

"For whatever reason, he did not do so; rather, he continued without decelerating in a straight line right into the front of the cruiser," the report said.

Martino noted the officer behind the wheel of the cruiser declined to be interviewed or hand over his notes about the incident to the SIU. The other officer in the cruiser did speak with investigators and provide their notes, Martino said.

"On my assessment of the evidence, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the [subject officer] committed a criminal offence in connection with the collision," he concluded.

The report does not mention the current condition of the cyclist.

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of police officers in incidents that may have resulted in death, serious injury, the discharge of a firearm or allegations of sexual assault.