Halifax police officers not responsible for collision that left four people injured: SIRT

The SiRT logo is seen in an undated file photo.

Nova Scotia's police watchdog says Halifax Regional Police officers are not responsible for a collision that happened following a short police pursuit in June 2022.

The two-vehicle crash left four people injured. One person, a 61-year-old male pedestrian, was struck by one of the vehicles and suffered a broken leg on Herring Cove Road.

On June 25, 2022, SIRT received a referral from Halifax Regional Police (HRP) regarding the collision.

Moments before the crash, SIRT says in its report that HRP officers tried to stop a suspect vehicle, but decided to abandon the pursuit as the driver refused to stop and accelerated away.

The vehicle then collided with a second vehicle, pushing it into the pedestrian, who was on the sidewalk.

SIRT says the suspect vehicle was later found abandoned, but police couldn’t find the suspect.

"The SIRT investigation commenced immediately to determine whether the actions of the police impacted on the collision that occurred, which resulted in a broken leg to the pedestrian that was struck," reads the report.

SIRT says, during its investigation, investigators spoke with the three people in the vehicle that was struck.

All three people told SIRT they did not see the vehicle that struck them before the collision. According to SIRT, all three people suffered soft tissue injuries and were treated and released from hospital.

Two witnesses to the collision also told SIRT they saw the suspect vehicle pass them at a high rate of speed and strike the vehicle in the curb lane, forcing it up onto the sidewalk. Both witnesses said there were no police cars chasing the suspect vehicle, and it was only after a period of time that other police cars came along at a normal speed.

"Two other civilian witnesses who lived next door to where the vehicles collided gave statements indicating the suspect vehicle was not being pursued by police when it struck the other vehicle. They did see police vehicles arrive soon after to check on the injured parties," said SIRT'S report.

In SIRT's conclusion, it says the actions that caused the injuries to the three people in the second vehicle and the pedestrian were the result of the suspect driving dangerously.

"Therefore, no actions of the police officers involved contributed to the collision that occurred and no charges arise from their actions," said the report.

SIRT's full report can be found online.