The SIU continues to investigate the death of an 80-year-old man whose body was recovered after his vehicle plunged into Georgian Bay Thursday.
“We have been in touch with the man’s next of kin and, as per our policy, will not be releasing his name as per their wishes,” said Kristy Denette, a spokesperson for the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
Southern Georgian Bay OPP Const. Aaron Coulter noted that police will not be commenting on the incident since the SIU has invoked its mandate.
What is known so far is that at about 3 p.m., a Southern Georgian Bay OPP officer stopped the driver of a vehicle for a suspected Highway Traffic Act violation.
The officer and the man conversed before the man drove his vehicle into the water near Bayshore Drive and William Street in Midland.
Officers entered the water, but the van sunk and the man did not exit the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the OPP's Underwater Search and Recovery Unit was called to the scene, the elderly man’s body was recovered at 6:49 p.m.
The SIU was called in shortly after the incident occurred. There are now three SIU investigators and one forensic investigator working on the file.
Denette didn’t respond to questions directly linked to what occurred during the traffic stop and led the man to drive into the bay.
“To be clear, we are not conducting a criminal investigation into the man,” she said. “Our mandate is to investigate the potential criminal liability of the police officials who may have been involved in the incident.
“Police must immediately notify the SIU whenever there are serious injuries, deaths or allegations of sexual assault involving police, or if an official fired at someone,” Denette said.
She said that where possible, SIU investigations must be completed within 120 days.
“In addition, the SIU Act legislation requires that the SIU publish (on its website) the reports of all SIU investigations that have not resulted in criminal charges,” she added.
